One Percent Inspiration, Ninety-Nine Percent Persperation
by Acier Glace
Summary: No matter the scenario, no matter the situation, somehow they always end up with each other. A KaiShin drabble series inspired by the AU Lists on tumblr.
1. Inappropriately Timed Confessions

EDIT UPDATE: I have created a list of the drabbles I will be using to complete this series at the following link (add ". com" after tumblr and remove the spaces):

acierglace. tumblr post/ 98008424663 /the-kaishin-au-drabble-prompt-list

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><p>"I can't marry you!"<p>

Despite the utter chaos of a typical KID heist, Ran's shout had shattered through the various pops, bangs, and whizzing sounds of the KID handicapping his pursuing officers. Shinichi had clapped hands over his ears as soon as he'd seen her draw breath and cautiously lowered his hands as she covered her mouth in horror. He brought himself back to his feet, not wanting to be kneeling within kicking range and turning down the gauge on his adult-sized power shoes.

The heist ground to a halt as the surrounding officers stopped chasing the thief to stare at Shinichi and Ran, even the KID pausing where he was balanced precariously on one of the museum's banners. Shinichi shivered as the temperature in the room plummeted, feeling sharp eyes boring into the back of his head.

"Ah-haha, that wasn't what I was trying-"

"It's just- I met someone else while you were gone and I was going to wait for you, but you didn't call for eight months! And when you did, you were so happy about finishing your case and you never even asked what I was doing for those eight months!" Ran lowered her hands and spread them out beseechingly. "And you were inviting me out for dinner and a date at the museum, but I deserve more than that. More than being at your beck and call when you decide we should be together."

"You're completely right," Shinichi agreed, fighting the urge to twitch and glare around the room. No one else had so much as breathed it seemed, waiting to see how the drama would play out. "And I didn't mean to ignore you for that long. I got busy and stupid, and you deserve more than that. I asked you out tonight to meet the person that I met during those eight months. Not to ask you to marry me."

"But Sonoko said-" Ran cut herself off and covered her face in horror. "Oh god, Sonoko told me she saw you at a jeweler's when she was shopping last week. And she followed you around and you'd made reservations at a romantic restaurant and cleared your schedule at the police department to have tonight free."

"Wait, Sonoko followed me around and told you I was planning to ask you to marry me?" Shinichi grabbed Ran's shoulders, face burning as the officers around the room started to whisper. There was only silence from the KID. Not. Good.

"You had a ring and reservations and you weren't on call. And I told her she was wrong, but then you'd asked me out for the same night as your reservations, so I started to think she was right." Ran dropped her hands and wrung them together, looking around the room and blushing hard at all the attention focused on them.

"I wanted to make up for ignoring you and meet up with the person I met on my case. I thought it was easier if I just did both tonight."

"At the KID heist? Is it a police officer?" Ran asked, taking in the room with a more interested expression.

Shinichi's hands tightened on her shoulders in panic as the chills racing up and down his spine suddenly strengthened. Someone was not happy.

"It's not a police officer," Shinichi said, but that was as far as he got before a blinding flash and deluge of smoke filled the museum. Shinichi kept his hold on Ran as they stumbled towards the exit, the police officers shouting and creating a cacophony of noise.

Shinichi pulled Ran into the adjacent room, both coughing to clear out the taste of the heavy smoke. Shinichi released Ran's shoulder, but flinched as hands caught his shoulders and pinned him to the closing door. Ran stumbled back in surprise, bracing herself as she prepared to meet their attacker.

Surprise brought her up short.

"KID?!"

"How could you, meitantei-kun? After everything we've been through, after all the promises, you bring the other woman to my heist and ask her to marry you? You're cruel!" The KID exclaimed, shaking Shinichi's shoulders. There was a smile on the KID's face, but it wasn't a happy smile.

"I didn't ask her to marry me!" Shinichi pushed the KID off.

"You were on one knee, in the middle of my heist, with a ring in your pocket!" The KID accused, shaking a finger in Shinichi's face, his other hand brought up on his hip.

Ran continued to gape at both of them, blinking rapidly.

"I didn't buy it for her!" Shinichi brought the ring out and brandished it between them. "It's a replica of your target tonight! I was going to swap them while you were playing games with your Task Force!"

"You bought a ring for me?" The KID asked, voice suddenly small and full of wonder. He dropped his hand to snag the ring box, popping it open with a bright laugh. "Oh, meitantei-kun, it's beautiful!"

The KID promptly took the ring out and slid it on his left hand, snugly fitting on his ring finger despite the silk gloves. He held his hand over head and admired the glitter of the star sapphire.

"It wasn't for you!" Shinichi protested, making a grab for the KID's hand and chasing after him as the KID danced back out of reach. "Give it back! That's for someone else!"

"I accept this token of your love!" The KID leaned forward, locking his hands around Shinichi's wrists and capturing his mouth. Shinichi gave out a protest, but it was smothered under the KID's insistent kiss. When the KID drew away, Shinichi stumbled back, a hand coming up to cover his mouth in shock. "Well, I'm glad everything's cleared up, Meitantei-kun. Have a good evening, Mouri-hime."

And the KID vanished in a plume of colorful smoke, just as the Task Force started pounding on the door behind them. Ran shook herself out of her shock and approached Shinichi.

"Shinichi? Are you alright?"

Shinichi nodded slowly, lowering his hand and staring at the sapphire ring on his own left hand.

"Well, at least he gave it back," She ventured, touching his elbow timidly. "Although that kiss-"

"Never happened. We never speak of that ever," Shinichi said, voice grave. He held her gaze steadily, flat blue eyes as somber as his tone. "It never happened."

"Right. And you never asked me to marry you," Ran agreed, shoulders slumping in relief. They opened the door to let the Task Force in, bravely dealing with the pinch checks and then being sent on their way. A few officers laughed quietly at Shinichi's red face, but broke off guiltily when he glared at them.

"The person I wanted you to meet should still be outside." Shinichi took her hand and led her out of the museum, past the police cordon and into the crowd of KID fans clustered around the barricade.

"Maybe tomorrow you can meet my person," Ran suggested, squeezing his hand meaningfully. Shinichi grinned at her over his shoulder.

"That sounds great, Ran."

"Shinichi! You two-timer! You're cheating on me with a pretty girl already?" A male voice called out, drawing Ran's eye. A boy their age was scowling at Shinichi, even as the girl at his side with her anti-KID signs turned to berate him.

The smile fell off Shinichi's face.

"Don't be an idiot!" He stubbornly held Ran's hand until they were in front of the boy and his friend, close enough that Ran could see the amusement in his eyes that belied his hurt words. "This is Mouri Ran, my best friend. Ran, this is Kuroba Kaito, my- person," he finished lamely.

"Boyfriend, Shinichi. That's the word you're looking for," Kaito said, a large grin overtaking his face as Shinichi sputtered in denial. "It's nice to meet you, Ran-chan. I've heard a lot about you."

"Dont' be rude, Kaito!" The girl at his side elbowed him hard in the side, sending the boy to the ground in pain. She stepped forward and bowed politely. "I'm Nakamori Aoko. It's nice to meet you, Mouri-san."

"Nice to meet you too." Ran bowed back, sneaking a glance as Shinichi helped Kaito back to his feet, fingers tangling together once Kaito was upright. "But just call me Ran."

"You can call me Aoko." Aoko turned to look at Shinichi and Kaito, heads bent together and whispering. She leaned into Ran's space. "It's also really good to meet Kaito's boyfriend. For a while, I thought he was imaginary."

"Are you ready to go?" Shinichi asked, fingers still tangled with Kaito's. He was looking at her, maybe a little nervously.

She nodded.

"How about you go ahead and I'll have you meet me and my boyfriend tomorrow?" She leaned forward to give him a hug, turning her head to whisper in his ear. "Good luck tonight, Shinichi."

"I'm not asking him to marry me. It's just a promise." Shinichi whispered back.

Ran pulled away and looked over at Kaito. The smile was still on his face, but there was an edge to it, something unhappy and anxious.

"I'm really happy I met you, Kaito-kun. Have a good night," she said, watching his face crumple in confusion before Shinichi was pulling his away from the crowd. Ran turned to Aoko. "Would you like to get some coffee tomorrow morning? And tell me more about Kaito-kun?"

"I'd love to." Aoko pulled out her cell phone and they exchanged numbers. She put her phone away and paused before leaving, hefting her anti-KID sign higher on her shoulder. "You know, I thought Kaito was going to get hurt when he started dating Shinichi. Mostly because he always talked about you. I think he's jealous of how close you two are."

"If he should be jealous of anyone," Ran said, grinning to herself as she remembered the look of horror on Shinichi's face. "He should be jealous of Kaitou KID."


	2. Snowed in at the abandoned cabin

"Oh sure, you can pick a lock, but looking up weather reports is just too difficult," Shinichi snapped, already burrowed into his heavy winter gear as much as possible. Ski goggles were keeping the wind off his eyes, but the lower half of his face felt frozen solid.

"This isn't natural weather," Kaito shot back, probably freezing to death even as he spoke. The KID costume wasn't very heavy, and neither was the hang glider cape which he'd wrapped around his upper body in an attempt to keep warm and not be thrown off his feet in the wind.

"Really? It sure feels like natural weather," Shinichi grumbled, pressing closer to Kaito's back when he noticed how much his hands were shaking. Kaito stiffened, but leaned into his warmth. He still had his silk gloves on and fiddled with the lock picks one last time. The cabin door blew open once he twisted the handle, Shinichi hurriedly pushing him in the cabin.

"I think Koizumi's punishing me for falling in love with you over her. Must have been too good a chance to pass up. Take both of us out at once in her rage," Kaito explained, helping Shinichi close the door and re-locking it.

Shinichi rolled his eyes and ignored Kaito's grumbled complaints, taking in the sparse cabin they'd located in the storm. It wasn't far from the mountain resort the KID had held his heist, but the sudden snowstorm ruined any chances for regrouping with the Task Force.

"Not much here," Kaito said, taking off his hat and grimacing at the melting snow clinging to the brim of his hat. Shinichi stripped off his own winter coat, the melted snow started to seep into the material and make it heavy, and pushed the goggles up to keep his damp hair out of his face. He turned critical eyes on Kaito, sympathy welling up as Kaito started shivering noticeably.

"There's a pile of firewood and an electric space heater. I'll check to see if the pipe's are frozen and if there's any spare clothes around. You should..." He trailed off as Kaito took off his monocle, red and bruised skin where the metal frame had pressed into his skin. "Get your costume off and try to get a fire going."

"So mean, tantei-kun." Kaito let the cape fall, disengaging it to land in a wet puddle at his feet. The suit jacket and tie followed, and Shinichi took off to check the pipes instead of watching the strip show. He ignored Kaito's pitiful cries as he took off the rest of his costume.

The pipes weren't frozen, but it took a long time for the water to even warm. A quick check of the kitchen cabinets revealed typical cold weather meals, canned soups, instant ramen, and packets of hot chocolate mix. There weren't any spare clothes in either bedroom, but plenty of spare blankets. He found several plush towels in the bathroom, as well.

So, they weren't likely to starve of die of dehydration, but freezing to death was still possible if Kaito never got a fire going or the electricity cut out.

He grabbed one of the towels, scrubbing at his damp hair, and threw the other one to Kaito. It landed on the thief's head where he was crouched on the floor in front of the fireplace.

"Any luck?" Shinichi asked, stepping up to look over Kaito's shoulder. The pitiful bundle of kindle was smoking, but it wasn't leaping to life yet. Kaito ignored him as he coaxed the fire, tongues of flame reaching up to Kaito's hovering hands as he fed more sticks to the fire. "Kaito?"

"Any extra clothes?" Kaito asked instead, rubbing his hands together over the small fire. It would take some time before the larger logs caught alight, but Kaito didn't seem inclined to move.

"No clothes. Blankets and towels, there's food in the kitchen so we won't starve, and the water still works." Shinichi loosened the lighter jacket he had on under his winter coat, wincing as the cold air started to seep inside. "It'll be a while before the water's warm enough to take a bath. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine," Kaito said, hunching his shoulders up near his ears. The tremors that Shinichi could see rock his body weren't exactly supporting his proclamation.

"Sure. I believe that," Shinichi said, dropping to his knees behind the thief and roughly scrubbing at his wet head with a towel. Kaito squirmed under the assault, trying to get away from the harsh treatment. "You're going to be a KID-sicle if you don't start warming up."

"Stop! Stop! I said I'm fine!" Kaito wiggled out, dragging himself out from under the towel and huddling against the sofa against the wall. "Go take a shower or something. I'll be fine."

"Don't come crying to me when you freeze to death." Shinichi scowled, throwing the damp towel at Kaito and stomping off. Kaito could worry about himself. He was the one who'd drug both of them out into the snow to begin with, taking off on a pair of skis instead of flying off on his hang glider. Shinichi had to follow him. He'd seen the dark clouds blowing in and heard the weather report just before KID's appearance at the resort. If he let that stubborn idiot die in a snowstorm, he'd-

Well, he wouldn't have been happy.

He decided to listen to Kaito's advice, heading into the bathroom and turning on the shower. It sputtered before gushing in a steady stream, though it was still cold. He hung his clothes up, hoping they would drip dry somewhat. He ignored that guilty feeling building in his chest.

Five minutes later and the water was comfortably warm. Shinichi debated with himself, foot raised to step under the spray, but sighed and stepped back. He wrapped one of the towels around his waist and opened the bathroom door.

Kaito hadn't moved from his spot in front of the couch, but the fire was higher and it seemed as though the electric heater had been turned on, as well. Shinichi stopped beside the thief and grabbed his arm.

"Hey!" Kaito protested, but he barely put up a fight as Shinichi dragged him to the bathroom. "What the hell are you doing?! I was fine!"

"Kaito! You're shaking too hard to stand. You're not fine." Shinichi gestured with his other hand to where Kaito could barely keep his feet under himself.

Kaito scowled, an ugly expression twisting his face, jerking his arm out of Shinichi's hold. But Shinichi was faster and slammed the door shut before Kaito could retreat.

"What's wrong with you? You'd rather get hypothermia?" Shinichi ignored Kaito's angry face, wresting the button-up open one button at a time. He stopped in surprise as Kaito hissed and wrapped his arms around himself, drawing back into the storage closet. "Kaito?"

"I'll take the stupid shower. Just go." Kaito turned his back, but Shinichi was observant. He knew what he'd seen.

"I don't care about your scars. So what?" Shinichi settled his hands on Kaito's shoulders and pulled him back into his body. Kaito was freezing cold, enough that Shinichi grit his teeth in discomfort. "It's not a big deal."

"It really is. And I was going to let you see them after I'd already told you about them. Or maybe hide them so you wouldn't notice," Kaito admitted, relaxing as Shinichi dropped his arms around his shoulders and hugged him.

"I'm a detective, remember. You really think you could hide scars from me?" He let his right hand drift down to cover the largest, twisted scar just to the left of his heart. "I knew people were taking shots at you since you figured out my secret."

"It's one thing to know that. It's another to see them." Kaito let him peel off the dress shirt, letting it drop to the ground between them. Shinichi didn't think it was as bad as Kaito imagined. There were some bullet scars, two long slashes to the right of his stomach, and a burn scar over his right ribs.

"That's not so bad," Shinichi said, tracing the burn mark with a finger. Kaito shivered and dropped his head back on Shinichi's shoulder.

"They're ugly," Kaito covered his hand with one of his own, eyes squeezed shut. Shinichi almost said something about being vain before he took in Kaito's expression.

There was faint dampness under his eyes that couldn't have been from his wet hair. That was a look of pain on his face, not one of embarrassment.

"They're just scars. We all have them." Shinichi pulled Kaito out of the storage closet, using one hand to work open Kaito's trousers and help him step out of them. "I don't care about them."

"I care about them. Not really part of the KID's mystique. Or a master magician's." Kaito butted his head into Shinichi's shoulder, letting the detective pet at him like a cat.

"I'd rather you have them and be alive than to see these on you postmortem, possibly even being the cause of death," Shinichi said, matter of fact and with a touch of unease in his voice.

It was why he'd taken off after the thief into a potential blizzard. He didn't want to have to solve Kaito's death.

"You say the sweetest things," Kaito said, laughing roughly. He pulled out of Shinichi's hold to strip off his boxers and climb under the shower spray. Shinichi rolled his eyes and hung up the towel before joining him.

"Better than that flowery language you like to use." Shinichi rubbed his hands down Kaito's sides, hoping to help warm him up. The thief relaxed into him, grabbing Shinichi's arms and wrapping them around his waist.

"Romantic language," Kaito protested, pressing back into Shinichi with a roll of his hips. He yelped when Shinichi swatted his thigh. "Hey!"

"We are doing this to warm up. We are not having our first time together in an abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere during a blizzard. It's not happening." Shinichi angled his hips back and pinched Kaito's thigh when the thief tried to scoot back into him again.

"Meanie." Kaito stretched and ran his fingers through his wet hair, sending water everywhere.

"Kaito!"

"I'm warm enough, now," Kaito declared, eeling out of the shower and around Shinichi's hands. Shinichi rolled his eyes before he dipped his head under the spray. "You said there were blankets?"

"In the bedrooms," Shinichi shook water out of his face, turning off the shower. Kaito opened the bathroom door, leaving behind piles of wet clothes and towels. Shinichi sighed. It was like dealing with a small child, willfully ignorant of ironclad societal rules.

"Ooh! Toga party!" Kaito cheered, striding out of the bedroom with a bedsheet wrapped around himself and a thicker comforter on his shoulders. "Want any hot chocolate?"

"Sure," Shinichi said, straightening out Kaito's wet trousers and hanging them up to dry out. He draped the dress shirt over the sink and opened the cabinet. There was a small first aid box, which he tucked under one arm.

Kaito was seated in front of the fire, holding out a mug of hot chocolate when Shinichi settled on the ground next to him. Shinichi took the cup, draining about half the mug before he set it aside and placed the first aid kit on his lap.

"Let me take a look at your eye," Shinichi said, opening the box and waiting patiently for Kato to lower the mug. As soon as the cup left the thief's lips, he grabbed his chin and angled it towards him. "It looked raw earlier when you took the monocle off. I want to make sure you haven't blistered your skin."

"It's just a little red." Kaito tried to duck away, but Shinichi didn't let him go. The skin was a little red, but the skin had blistered on the bridge of his nose. A dab of ointment would soothe that, and the rest would just need a little time. Kaito didn't move even after Shinichi had finished, watching him with a blank look on his face.

There were times when Shinichi hated Kaito's poker face. He had a hard enough time reading normal people based on their faces, though his time as Conan helped him pay more attention to people themselves. It was hard to know which adult in the area would be willing to listen to a child when he knew all the adults were police officers, but being able to read their willingness on their face eased the process.

Trying to read Kaito's poker face when he didn't want to be read was like being blind. He didn't have anything to go off of. Not until Kaito felt like telling him.

Instead, he reached over to grab the blanket draped on Kaito's shoulders and pulled it partly over his own. Kaito willingly slid closer, draping an arm around Shinichi's waist and burying his face into his shoulder. It hid the irritated skin from Shinichi's eyes, but did bring Kaito close enough to cuddle, so he would let it pass.

Hopefully, the storm would blow over in the morning and they'd be able to get out of here.


	3. First Time in Formal Wear

Shinichi hung back as Kaito was rushed by adoring fans, children swamping him and pulling at his pant legs insistently. The magician took it all in stride, kneeling down and fanning open a deck of cards. He flashed both sides, the printed backs with miniature KID doodles in place of traditionally decorative backs and the numbered side. He closed the deck in one hand, covered it with his other, and with a plume of smoke fanned the deck open to reveal grinning pictures of KID, all signed in Kaito's messy scrawl.

The children took their prizes with a cheer, running back to their parents with their treasures. Kaito watched them run off with a smile before he caught sight of Shinichi and flushed bright red.

"Hey. I didn't know you made it," Kaito said, rising to his feet and fidgeting nervously.

"I wasn't going to," Shinichi admitted as he walked over to stand in front of Kaito. "But the kids I'm mentoring couldn't stop raving about KID the Magnificent, so I thought I'd stop by."

"I'm performing at an actual hall next week. Why couldn't you have made that one?" Kaito murmured, wringing his hands together.

Shinichi smothered a grin. In all the time he'd known Kuroba Kaito, he'd never once seen him this bashful or out of sorts. Normally, Kaito was the first one to make a scene.

"But I would have missed seeing you child-friendly," Shinichi said, raking his eyes over Kaito's immaculate dress.

KID the Phantom Magician was a showy peacock, draped in cape, monocle, and top hat, performing death-defying deeds and impossible illusions. Shinichi caught enough of that attitude and behavior just dorming with Kaito through Tokyo U.

KID the Magnificent was a more real version. Instead of cape, monocle, and hat, Kaito wore a simple tuxedo cut suit, a deep indigo purple that glittered black under the stage lights. He'd slicked back his hair, leaving only a few pieces to fall into his face. It made him look younger, more open.

"It's embarrassing," Kaito said, turning on his heel and walking back towards his makeshift stage. "Plenty of magicians don't have to perform children's shows."

"Lots of them don't because they think it's demeaning," Shinichi said, repeating verbatim what Kaito had told him the first time he'd seen him do tricks for the children involved in a hostage case, somewhere he never would have been if Shinichi hadn't been hellbent on saving them.

"Shut up. It's not fair when you use my arguments against me," Kaito said. He brought a hand up to his collar, but Shinichi caught his hand before he could start messing up his outfit.

"Leave it be." He glanced behind them, but the parents were already herding the children out, leaving them alone in the community room.

"Oh? You like the suit, Meitantei?" Kaito asked, lips curling into a smirk, but there was still a pink flush on his face.

"You actually look like a grown up," Shinichi shot back, lips twitching as Kaito grit his teeth against the familiar disparaging remark on his preferred title. Misreading his own student number as "KID" and then actually using it to perform continued to amuse him. And the true story of how KID came to be, not whatever tale of the week Kaito felt like spinning.

"And old enough for grown up things." Kaito grabbed Shinichi's collar and drew him forward into a kiss.


	4. Everyone think we're dating Are we?

"So, is that time alright? Or does Kuroba-kun have a show?" Ran asked, looking up from her calender to meet Shinichi's eyes. "Shinichi?"

"That time should be fine," Shinichi said, absently flipping through two different case files and making notes in a notebook to his left. "Kaito's canceling his shows for that week. Midterms. No one at Tokyo U would show up and he'd be depressed."

"I'm glad it'll work out. See you next week!" Ran shut her calender and took off.

"Yeah, bye, Ran." Shinichi gave a half-hearted wave at her retreating back.

-X-

"We're actually going to dinner, but you could always join us. It'll give Saguru and Shinichi-kun a chance to talk without a case being involved," Aoko offered, grinning at the face Kaito made in response.

"But they'll talk about Holmes all night," he complained.

"Just remind him to be good during dinner and he'll get a reward. That always works for Saguru." Aoko giggled and darted in quick to give Kaito a hug. "Dinner at seven. That new place. Don't forget."

"We'll be there," Kaito said, taking out his phone and texting the time and place to Shinichi. He hesitated over the 'reminder' that Aoko suggested, not sure what she was implying. He just added a quick 'Don't just talk about Holmes!' and hoped for the best.

-X-

Kaito noticed first. He was better at reading people and their moods than Shinichi, but the changes had been so gradual over time that nothing had jumped out as unusual. Not until Kaito was looking back over three months full of invitations to couples dinners and double dates.

The latest invitation was staring him down, a tacky heart-shaped card with a lacy edge proclaiming to be a ticket for two on Suzuki Sonoko's Valentine's Day Cruise.

He rolled the invitation between his fingers and placed it down on the coffee table in contemplation.

He wasn't dating anyone. Shinichi wasn't dating anyone. Therefore, Sonoko shouldn't have felt the need to pass on an invitation. More suspect, she'd only sent the one. One card for two to Kaito and Shinichi's apartment.

Suspicious.

He left it on the table, reminding himself to ask Shinichi about it once the detective was back.

-X-

Shinichi should have noticed sooner.

Ran called, upset and angry that neither he nor Kaito had shown up to Sonoko's cruise. Shinichi couldn't even remember getting an invitation. He frowned all the way back home, opening the door to find Kaito wearing an apron and cooking dinner while practicing sleight of hand tricks.

"Do you know anything about Sonoko's cruise trip? Ran just called me angry that we missed it." Shinichi dropped his case files on the coffee table, unthreading his tie and folding his jacket over his arm.

"A cruise?" Kaito hummed, juggling bottles of spices with one hand and tossing vegetables in a wok with the other. "Suzuki was throwing one for Valentine's day. She sent us a card. I forgot to tell you. It should still be on the coffee table."

"You never forget about parties," Shinichi accused. "And we wouldn't have even seen fish on the cruise ship, so don't give that excuse."

Kaito fumbled the spices at the dreaded finny word, squawking in outrage even as Shinichi ignored him. "That was mean!"

"There's nothing on the coffee table," Shinichi said. He shifted over his case files and the magazines Kaito subscribed to. He deactivated several of Kaito's smoke bombs before he could trip them, sending a wave of playing cards to the floor. He finally pulled something red and lacy out of the pile and frowned.

"A couple's invitation? Why wouldn't they send us each one?" Shinichi asked, bringing his prize back into the kitchen. Kaito stacked the spice bottles into a pyramid and poked at the vegetables with a spatula. He looked over at the invitation and snapped his fingers.

"That's why I forgot. I couldn't tell if they were trying to not invite one of us, or were trying to set one of us up on a blind date, so I left it." Kaito turned off the stove, splitting the beef and vegetables between two plates and handing one over to Shinichi.

"They wouldn't do that. It must be something else," Shinichi said, taking his plate and joining Kaito at the small kotatsu.

"Well, it felt like something. Are you sure your friends like me? They always ask if you can go to some things too when they suggest places." Kaito prodded at his dinner, face taking on a sullen cast. "And even my friends like you better. And Hattori-kun never wants to talk to me."

"My friends love you," Shinichi assured, reaching across the table to hold Kaito's wrist. "I know Ran, Sonoko, and Kazuha adore you. And Hattori is probably still holding a grudge over inviting Kazuha to be your assistant."

"But it was her birthday! I didn't know what else to get her!" Kaito protested, flipping his hand over to hold Shinichi's hand tightly.

"I know that. But Hattori's hotheaded sometimes. Especially when it comes to Kazuha. Just explain that you're not interested in her and he'll back off." Shinichi squeezed Kaito's hand. "And as for your friends, Hakuba's probably the only one that likes me more, and that's because I haven't tormented him for years. And even he'd probably try to kill me if you ever got hurt."

"But they always want to do couples things. It's always dinner at romantic restaurants, or couples parties, or-" Kaito stopped, closing his eyes and starting to laugh. "I'm so stupid."

"Maybe right now you are," Shinichi muttered, not having whatever epiphany that Kaito had.

"Shinichi. We're dating. That's why they're doing all of this," Kaito shook their clasped hands to draw attention to them.

"No we're not. One of us would have asked the other to date them and I don't remember that question ever getting asked," Shinichi said, starting to relax now that all of the unusual invitations were starting to be placed in context.

"You never asked me either," Kaito protested. "In fact, you didn't even ask me to share an apartment with you. You just assumed I would."

"You complained about being stuck in the dorms without being able to practice your magic, seeing as no one wanted anything to do with you after that dyeing prank in the community showers," Shinichi volleyed back, using his other hand to start eating again.

"You packed all of my stuff with yours!" Kaito pointed at him with his chopsticks, grinning when Shinichi flicked them away with his own.

"You boasted about your mother teaching you to cook now that you would be living in a real home."

"You were excited about your parents giving you a car we could use so I could accept invitations to perform out of the city."

"You spent all of your first commission on that queen-size bed," Shinichi dropped his chopsticks and leaned over the table to kiss Kaito's smirking mouth.

"You never bought your own bed," Kaito whispered into the space between their lips as they drew apart. "I think that's the smoking gun here."

"Let's just tell them we had special plans of our own," Shinichi suggested, leaning in one last time to wipe that sly look off Kaito's face.

"Of course." Kaito rolled his eyes and crawled over the table, pushing at Shinichi's shoulders until they were flat on the dining room floor. "We'll never live it down otherwise."

"Brilliant," Shinichi muttered as Kaito's clever hands traveled down, down, down. "You can tell them."


	5. Only one bed? Guess we'll share

There were times when being a child again had advantages. No one considered children dangerous, so he could always catch people off guard, and there were fewer responsibilities, so he had plenty of free time.

The downside to being child-sized was he was child-sized. It took no effort at all to pick him up and tote him around, despite various protests and any struggling. And when your childhood crush/ psuedo-mother figure was watching you expectantly, you couldn't use your more offensive weapons (like the stun watch and ball-dispensing belt).

"Thank you so much! He'll be no trouble at all! And if you need anything, my father will still be staying here and he can help you." Ran bowed, her coat over her arm and a grateful smile on her face. Her eyes dropped to him. "Be on your best behavior, okay, Conan-kun?"

"But Ran-neechan, why can't I go with you?" He whined, squirming in the restraining arms and reaching for her.

"Conan-kun, I'll be back in the morning. I won't even miss the heist." She pressed a hand over her heart. "I promise. Besides, you were the one who wanted to come here to begin with."

"Ran-neechan!" He couldn't help his scandalized tone, because the last person he ever wanted to know that was holding him hostage. He contemplated kicking the thief's knees anyway.

"Be good for Kuroba-kun, Conan-kun." Ran waved one last time, turning on her heel and dialing her phone as she strode towards the door.

"We'll be good, Mouri-chan!" KID sang out, arms becoming a vice around Conan. "Won't we, tantei-kun?"

"How the hell did you get in here? No one outside of the officers, private detectives, and family are allowed in the main house before the heist!" Conan struggled harder, but KID wasn't letting go.

"But I was invited!"

"Heist notes don't count!"

"Well, Kuroba Kaito was invited. Aspiring magician and close friend of Nakamori Aoko. He's been asked to consult on their security before," KID explained, hauling Conan in closer and wrapping his arm around his waist, freeing his other hand to wave at the various Task Force Officers down the hall. "And as far as they know, Kuroba-kun has been with them every second since they left the office."

"So we can expect to find him in a gutter somewhere, sleeping off your knock-out gas in the woods?" Conan stopped squirming, because this was the hardest part of being a child again.

Even with his reputation as The KID Killer and apprentice of Mouri Kogoro, as long as one adult spoke against him, he would be dismissed as a starry-eyed child.

"I would never leave my number one fan in a gutter." KID opened the door to the room they would be staying.

Conan immediately focused on the small twin-bed and no cot, bedroll, or pile of blankets in sight.

"I refuse."

"You're more than welcome to join Nakamori-keibu and Mouri-tantei." Kid closed the door behind them, finally releasing Conan.

His hand went for his stun watch but the thief had already nabbed it. As well as his belt. And his shoes had been left in the genkan.

"Looks like it's my win for the night, tantei-kun," KID locked the door and placed something just over the door opening. "If you try to sneak out in the night, well... It won't hurt, but you'll never be able to look at pudding the same way again."

Conan eyed the innocuous device hanging over the door. He was tempted to take the chance anyway, but KID had the worst creative mind for traps and tricks that left you more humiliated than injured. Conan was already travel-sized. He didn't have much dignity left.

"What's your play?" Conan asked, crossing the room and planting his back against the wall. KID hummed to himself, taking off his jacket, and collapsed on the bed.

"Maybe I just wanted to spend time with you," KID ventured, crossing his hands behind his head and stretching out on the small bed. Conan glared at the non-existent space left. He'd rather sleep on the floor.

"Lie. Try again."

"Aww~ That really hurts my feelings."

"Lie." Conan crossed his arms and stared at the thief. KID kept humming, seemingly content with himself and their situation.

"Are you really going to sleep on the floor?" KID asked, five minutes later.

"I'd rather sleep on the floor than near you," Conan muttered. There was no way he'd be getting any sleep tonight. That was probably KID's goal. A lack of need for normal sleeping hours would fit into the rough profile he'd drawn of the thief. Conan just seemed to need more than usual, yet another side effect of the de-aging.

"This is ridiculous." KID sighed and rolled to his feet, stalking over to Conan. There wasn't much Conan could do to stop him, the advantage of height, speed, and strength on KID's side. KID scooped him up and tossed him on the bed, settling on his former spot on the floor.

Conan grunted at the impact and scrambled upright, tracking the thief's uncoordinated slump to the floor.

"Relax, meitantei. I won't bother you," KID said, crossing his arms and resting them on his raised knees. There would be a pout on any other person's face, but KID's blank smile served to the same effect when his eyes were so flat. It was unnerving.

"So now you'll sleep on the floor?" Conan asked, scooting until his back hit the wall. The bed was small but comfortable. If he relaxed for a second, he'd be out for the night.

"Not the worst place I've ever slept," KID said, some warmth filling his eyes.

Conan imagined KID in full regalia sleeping on some rooftop edge, hunched up like a roosting bird. He muffled his snort with one hand.

KID noticed. He'd started spinning some story, gesturing with his hands and making faces. He switched his voice effortlessly as he imitated others, pitching his voice just enough to carry without being loud. Conan couldn't help but get drawn into the story, sinking further and further on the bed until he was only fuzzily watching the thief with sleepy eyes.

He closed his eyes as KID droned on in Hakuba's voice, and the next time he opened his eyes, the room was silent. He pushed himself upright, reaching to rub his eyes and frowning when he doesn't touch his glasses. KID wasn't telling stories anymore, leaving only silence and the very faint sound of breathing in the room.

KID's upper body was sprawled over the edge of the bed, arms folded for a pillow and spine twisted so he could rest on his knees. There wasn't a blank face, just the lines of relaxation and sleep, but it was enough that he could see a dusting of makeup on KID's face, faint smudges on the blanket proof.

"Idiot," Conan whispered, touching KID's wrist and scowling when KID groaned and nuzzled deeper into his arms. "Oi. KID!"

"Nooo~" KID moaned out.

"If you're going to sleep on the bed, get on the bed." Conan pulled on the bony wrist, rolling his eyes as KID crawled on the bed and started snoring. "If you cuddle me, you won't be waking up pleasantly."


	6. Thunderstorm cuddles

Kaito crept through the shadows of the Kudou manner, card gun drawn and ready at his waist. He'd slipped in just as the storm was starting, too far away from any of his usual haunts to take shelter and unwilling to expose himself.

There were a pair of snipers earlier. Not just Snake taking potshots at KID. They were well away from the actual heist, positioned along his escape route. The first shot only missed because he'd turned his head to track the storm clouds rolling in.

If not for that, he'd likely be bleeding to death and plummeting to the ground.

He'd lost them in Beika, but wasn't willing to track them to their hideout or accidentally lead them to Ekoda. He knew the Kudou manor would be empty, seeing as its one usual occupant was spending his nights at the Mouri home.

But someone was in the kitchen.

The quiet and familiar sounds of the cabinets being opened and water set out to boil drew some of the tension out of his shoulders, but he peered around the corner of the door cautiously.

Shinichi was huddled up in blankets, shivering and holding a steamy mug of coffee.

"Oh. It's just you," Kaito said, flipping the safety on his gun and tucking it away. He stepped into the kitchen and blinked at the second mug that Shinichi thrust out to him. "What's this?"

"Hot chocolate. You don't drink coffee." Shinichi let it drop into Kaito's hands, only the thief's quick reflexes saving the hot chocolate from an untimely fate. It warmed his hands, and he brought it to his lips with a happy noise. "What are you doing here?"

"Storm rolled in. Flushed some crows out with it," Kaito said, settling on the stool next to Shinichi and finally letting himself relax.

"Did anything happen?" Shinichi asked, mug hitting the table with a clatter. Kaito ignored the sharp eyes boring into the side of his face, pointedly taking another drink. Shinichi's shoulders tensed.

"Nothing happened," Kaito admitted, reaching over and ruffling his hair into a mess. Shinichi batted his hand away. "Just the usual encounter. Your place was closer than mine."

Shinichi didn't say anything.

"Why are you here? And adult-sized?" Kaito asked.

"Ran's staying with Sonoko for a few days, something about womanly bonding that Sonoko made up so they could spend her birthday money," Shinichi said. "Haibara had a new antidote to try. I won't be myself much longer."

"You're still yourself," Kaito scoffed, but it was an old argument at this point. He could have it with himself if he really felt like rehashing it. But it still needed to be said.

"Then I won't be taller than you much longer." Shinichi kicked Kaito's stool, upsetting his balance but he recovered before he could spill hot chocolate all over himself.

"Hey!"

"Shut up." Shinichi grabbed his shoulder and Kaito bit back his groan. "I thought you said nothing happened."

"I was wearing my vest. I'm fine, meitantei. Don't you go need to eat some of your mushroom, dear Alice?" Kaito pushed away from the counter and rinsed out his mug. His chest did hurt, bruised and possibly cracked ribs when he had the chance to check when changing out of uniform. He wasn't going to advertise that fact, however.

"Don't you have any sense of self-preservation?" Shinichi muttered, rolling his eyes as Kaito stuck out his tongue in retaliation. "How about you eat the mushroom and I'll play the mad hatter?"

"If I'm going to be anyone, I'd be the Cheshire cat." Kaito made sure to keep out of Shinichi's reach as the detective rinsed out his own mug and placed it in the sink. "Nine lives, after all."

"You're going to have one less if you don't leave soon." Shinichi pulled the blankets higher on his shoulders and left the kitchen without another glance back. Kaito listened to him leave, traveling up the stairs and into the one room of the house Kaito felt too uncomfortable to enter.

Kudou manor might as well have been a mausoleum for all the living that people did inside it. But the one slightly used room, kept free of dust and neatly organized, that unnerved him more than all the dust covers and sheets in the rest of the house.

The storm wasn't actually dying out, so he wouldn't be leaving. But he could keep out of Shinichi's way as he changed back, shrinking down into his pint-sized rival and sometimes ally.

He knew where he stood with Conan.

Shinichi was something else.

Instead, he made himself at home in the guest room he'd claimed. Well, no one objected, but that was because no one knew he'd laid claim to it. He had a bedroom, either way, which was all that mattered. He kept some clothes here, a spare deck of razor cards, a handful of sleeping gas/smoke pellets, and a cache of thumb drives containing all of the information he had on the crows just in case his primary system and first set of back-ups were inaccessible.

One couldn't be too careful, even master thieves, and he wanted to leave them with someone who could use them, if there was ever an instance where he no longer could.

The thunder drowned out the noises in the house, but not enough to cover Shinichi's transformation back into Conan. Kaito rolled over to his side on the bed, dragging a pillow over head and clenching his eyes shut. The last time he'd interfered with the transformation, Conan had darted him and left him unconscious in the hallway for eight hours.

Kaito could understand not letting someone see you at your weakest, but he'd thought they were friendly enough that Conan knew he'd meant no harm.

If he never heard those screams again, he'd be happy.

He nearly fell asleep like that, the pillow muffling the thunder and rain spattering against the windows. But no one could sneak up on him, not any more. He peeked out under the pillow, a smile tugging at his lips at the small child opening the door and stepping inside.

"Don't say anything or I'll knock you out for the night," Conan said, holding his watch aloft threateningly. Kaito pushed the pillow aside and mimed zipping his lips together, clasping his hands over his heart in promise. "I wasn't going to let you skulk around my house while I was sleeping. This way, I'll know if you try anything stupid."

Kaito's eye twitched and he nearly broke his promised silence, but Conan was climbing up on the bed and building a barrier with one of the blankets he dragged in with him.

"Not a word, KID." Conan deliberately placed the watch between them, fingers covering the trigger. Kaito pouted, widening his eyes and pushing out his lower lip as much as possible. It earned him a tired snicker, but no lowered guard.

Kaito turned on his side, exposing his back to Conan, which he knew would only aggravate the detective. The bed moved as Conan got settled, and Kaito drifted to sleep once Conan's breathing went soft and steady. He woke up fuzzily sometime later, but the sky was still dark and the thunder rolling, so what woke him wasn't immediately obvious.

Then he registered the warmth at his back, soft puffs of air hitting his neck and small arms and knees pressed against his back. The sharp thing digging into his side must have been the dart watch, and the little wall Conan had built between them was obviously wrecked.

He rolled back over, drawing an arm up to smooth Conan's hair down and watch him sleep for a few minutes. His face was strained, evidence of the painful transformation in the lines around his eyes and tension to his body despite his peaceful sleep. Kaito let his arm fall over Conan's stomach, fingers resting on the detective's back.

He drifted back to sleep.


	7. Crashed the wrong wedding

Kaito couldn't let this happen. He went overseas for two stupid months, working on his international tour as a magician and enjoying notoriety as Kaitou KID. Two months of phone calls to Aoko and his mother, encouraging Aoko to get up the nerve to date whatever guy she had her eyes on. He even remembered telling her to go for it, tell him how you feel honestly and be bold.

If he'd known she was trying to get Hakuba, he would have flown home. Before she told him all the gooey details of their sappy romance without giving him the name of her new love.

Which was suspicious as hell, looking back, but he'd been so happy for her he'd let it slip past.

Stupid!

Thankfully, Akako was on his side. Kaito had hopped on the first plane back to Tokyo, leaving behind Jii and all of his supplies except his bag of KID tricks. He was in a hurry, but not enough to leave incriminating evidence around. Akako offered to pick him up from the airport and give him the location of the wedding, but that was where her help ended.

It was enough.

He could navigate Tokyo and all of its surrounding districts with his eyes closed. He'd make it over the Beika and the church before the nuptials ended. He started running, ignoring the people on the street and all obstacles in his path, using his skills to springboard over crowds, dodge oncoming traffic, and evade the police who decided he was endangering the lives of his fellow commuters.

It was pure skill that had him losing the police only three blocks from the church. He hoped that he would be in time.

"Stop! You can't marry him!" Kaito shouted as he crashed through the doors of the chapel, tossing smoke pellets, confetti bombs, and five of his doves out into the room before him. He caught sight of Aoko, dressed in white with a veil and standing taller than he remembered. He sprinted down the narrow aisle, nearly collapsing on his knees as he pulled to a stop on the steps up to the dais. "I refuse!"

"Who are you?" Aoko turned to him, lifting her veil out of the way, and that wasn't Aoko. It looked like her, but only at first. This girl was taller, her features more fine, and her eyes a darker shade of blue than Aoko's.

Panic seized his chest.

Kaito turned to look at the groom, but it wasn't Hakuba. It was some man in glasses, messy dark hair, and a sharp expression. Kaito stepped back as the rest of the chapel became increasingly unfamiliar. He recognized the maid of honor as Suzuki Sonoko, and the crowd on the bride's side was scattered full of private detectives, police officers, and the famous lawyer Kisake Eri.

"Uh. That's... I'm really sorry!" Kaito turned on his heel and ran off, face burning in mortification. Akako told him the wrong place and he believed her! Why would Aoko want to have a western-style wedding in a chapel? Her parents had a traditional ceremony, and Hakuba would have caved to whatever she wanted. "Damn it!"

"Who are you? What the hell was that?" Someone grabbed his wrist as he exited the chapel, doors slamming closed behind them. Kaito paled as he realized the person who held his arm was famous detective Kudou Shinichi.

"That was an accident! Someone told me the wrong place. I'm very sorry," Kaito said, trying to wriggle his arm out of the detective's grip. It wasn't loosening at all.

"You nearly ruined my friend's wedding. Sorry is too small." The detective tightened his grip even further. Kaito swallowed back a yelp.

"What else could you want?!" Kaito demanded, dropping a hand into his pocket and throwing a smoke pellet to the ground between them. As the detective brought one hand up to cover his mouth, the grip of his other hand loosened enough that Kaito could pull away and back out of reach. "Look, I need to go."

He took off before the detective could recover, vanishing into the crowd and climbing hurriedly into a bus headed back to Ekoda. He collapsed in one of the seats, dropping his head into his hands and groaning. There was no chance he'd make Aoko's wedding before it ended. And they were already legally married at this point anyway, with the ceremony a formality and excuse for a party.

"Stupid," he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut in disappointment.

He'd never quite fallen out of love with Aoko. She'd be his first love forever, but the degree to which he loved her had faded. Hearing about her being happy with someone else just made him happy, enough that he could give her honest advice. He supposed he could learn to love her as a sister, which would mean to accept her choice to marry Hakuba. But there was no chance he'd ever accept some asshole like Hakuba to be an acceptable partner for her.

He could always sabotage their marriage, he supposed. Hakuba hadn't chased after him when Kaito took to the world's stage instead of just Japan's, but being enrolled in university and then police academy training weren't responsibilities he could easily shift. Maybe now that Hakuba would be free to pursue a position in Interpol, he could lure the bastard onto his trail and away from Aoko.

Kaito sighed.

That wouldn't work.

He got off the bus only a block away from his house, calling a greeting to his mother as he entered.

"Kaito! What in the world are you doing home?" His mother asked, face confused as he kicked off his shoes and headed for the living room. He fell onto the couch, hiding his face in the cushions.

"Aoko got married. To Hakuba. And I couldn't stop it," Kaito said, voice muffled by the cushions. His mother's fingers smoothed down his hair, squeezing the back of his neck once in acknowledgment.

"Are you going to be alright?" She asked.

"Fine. Made an idiot of myself, but I'll survive." Kaito groaned loudly and sank deeper into the couch. "Or not. Leave me here. Go on and enjoy your life without me."

"Kaito," his mother snapped, smacking the back of his head lightly. "At least call Jii and let him know you've arrived safely. You're going to get a reputation as being irresponsible and you'll never surpass your father's reputation."

"Yeah, yeah." Kaito pushed himself upright and dug out his cell phone. He blinked. There was a message from Akako.

/Sorry to trick you. Sent the bride your well wishes./ And attached to the short message was a picture of Akako in a deep blue kimono standing in arm with Aoko, wearing her uchikake in all white.

Kaito threw the phone at the wall.

Someone knocked at the door.

"Hello." He heard his mother greet their guest, but Kaito ignored them, hunching his shoulders up and crossing his arms. At the very least, he could sabotage their reception party. "Please come in."

"Thank you. Sorry to intrude."

Kaito froze.

"It's no trouble, Kudou-kun. How are your parents doing?" His mother asked, footsteps coming closer as she led their guest to the living room.

"Still traveling the world. But mother sends her love, Kuroba-san."

Kaito couldn't help but gape at the detective, standing beside his mother being perfectly friendly with all of Kaito's doves from earlier perched on his shoulders.

"Kudou-kun. This is my son, Kaito," His mother introduced, stepping up to the couch and coughing pointedly when Kaito didn't movie. He scrambled to his feet, jumping as the doves took off to cluster around his own shoulders. "Kaito, this is Kudou Shinichi. Toichi was his mother's mentor when she first started acting."

"What?" he squawked out, waving the doves away. Kudou smirked at him.

"We've met, Kuroba-san."

"Is that so?" She turned a curious look to Kaito's astonished face and laughed. "I'll bring some drinks for you boys. Be nice, Kaito."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kaito hissed, taking a defensive stance.

Kudou ignored him and sat down on the couch, studying the room intently. Kaito inched away from him and scooped up his cell phone from where it lay on the floor. Kudou folded his hands on his knees and pasted a look of polite interest on his face right when Kaito's mother returned with a platter of tea and some biscuits.

"Please help yourself, Kudou-kun. Kaito, mind you manners and offer our guest some tea," His mother ordered, bowing politely at the door and leaving them alone.

Kaito ignored the order.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out who you were. I thought you looked familiar, past the most obvious," Kudou said, leaning forward to fix two cups of tea. "Ran thought it was hilarious that someone who looked like me crashed her wedding, considering everyone thought we'd eventually be married."

Kaito tried to ignore the tea being thrust out to him, but the detective wouldn't budge until Kaito took the cup from him.

"And the clues I had about your identity weren't difficult either. My age group, obviously a performer of some type considering the tools you had at your disposal, clever enough to get away from me. But leaving your doves behind was your biggest mistake. I only needed to follow them straight to your house." Kudou's polite face fell, the same smirk from earlier stretching his lips.

Kaito nearly snarled at him.

"What did you come all the way here for?"

"Honestly? I wanted to know what kind of idiot would crash a wedding, and then get the wrong wedding." Kudou laughed as Kaito glared at him. "And partly, I wanted to know who to get restitution from."

"Restitution?"

"You did nearly ruin her ceremony. I promised Ran I'd make sure you were feeling properly remorseful." Kudou leaned forward then, a razor-sharp smile on his face that wouldn't have looked out of place on KID's. It was unsettling to have it turned on him.

"I could apologize..." Kaito trailed away as Kudou's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. "Hey!"

"I was thinking I could escort you to the reception and supervise your apology." Kudou softened his smile until it was an actual grin on his face, not the cocky expression from earlier. "Unless you'd rather I take you out one on one."

Kaito stared at him, disbelief drawing his eyebrows up and his mouth dropping open. To his utter embarrassment, he felt a flush start to show on his face.

"What?" he croaked.

"A date, Kaito-kun." Kudou's grip loosened, pads of his fingers running over the backs of Kaito's hand. "To make up for all the fuss you've caused."

"You're joking."

"Not in the least." Kudou placed his cup down and stood up, using his hold on Kaito's hand to pull him towards the door. "Come on."

Kaito considered planting his feet and slipping out of the loose hold. He thought about calling for his mother and ducking up the stairs, out of reach. He even thought about throwing another smoke pellet and running down into KID's hideaway.

"Please?" Kudou asked.

And Kaito caved.

He might as well. It would certainly keep his mind off Aoko's wedding, anyway.

"Fine."

"Thanks," Kudou said, the smile on his face reaching his eyes. He didn't look half bad, Kaito mused. He'd been on worse dates.


	8. In the hospital for stupid reasons

"I don't think I'm ever going to forget this," Hakuba said. There was absolute delight and pleasure in his tone, enough that Kaito wanted to push him over and hop his way into the hospital unassisted.

"I think you're going to look dashing with green hair for the next week," Kaito shot back, swallowing the more acidic words he wanted to spit at the detective.

"You know, KID's heist is in three days. It would be incredibly suspicious if he didn't show. Or if he did and had similar limitations, Kuroba." Hakuba hefted Kaito's arm higher on his shoulder and resettled his grip around Kaito's waist.

"Why does it always come back to KID with you?" Kaito grumbled, wincing as he put more weight on his broken ankle by accident. "I'm telling Aoko that instead of helping me, you spent all your time gloating about KID. See how fast she dumps your ass."

"Threatening to tell Aoko on me. How old are you?" Hakuba muttered back, but he did help Kaito more intently.

The hospital was mildly busy as they limped in through the doors. Hakuba lead him to the main desk, nodding a greeting to the nurse behind the desk. She handed over the necessary paperwork and directed them to the correct waiting room, blushing sweetly as Kaito pulled a rose out of his sleeve and offered it to her.

Hakuba helped Kaito settle in one of the chairs, handing over the clipboard with paperwork and a pen. Kaito took it and started absently filling in his information, eyes drifting over the others in the hospital. A familiar profile drew his eyes.

"Hey. Isn't that Kudou Shinichi?" Kaito asked, pointing the pen at the teenager huddled in his own chair in the waiting room. Hakuba looked over and made a considering noise.

"I suppose it is. Wonder what he's doing here." Hakuba grunted as Kaito shoved the clipboard back to him.

"Turn this in for me, will you?" Kaito asked, already trying to decide how he'd make it across the room without further damaging his ankle. As soon as Hakuba's back was turned, he climbed upright and limped over to the detective, using the wall to guide himself and stay upright.

Shinichi was scrawling through his own set of forms, looking up when he noticed the shadow over his pages and then right back down. Disheartened, Kaito dropped into the chair next to him heavily, bracing his arm on the back of Shinichi's chair and leaning over to read over Shinichi's shoulder.

"You pulled your groin muscle playing soccer?" he asked, reading the section that covered his need for the visit and holding back a laugh.

"What's wrong with you? Who are you?" Shinichi asked, jerking away from Kaito and nearly falling to the floor.

"Aw~ So mean. You don't recognize me, meitantei?" Kaito let one of his signature KID smirks creep over his face. Shinichi's went pale and then brilliant red.

"KID!" he hissed, eyes darting around the room and over Kaito's obviously injured leg. Kaito craned his neck to get a look at Hakuba, who was looking around for him and scowling when he noticed Kaito's present location.

"Shh~ Don't want to let dear tantei-san into the joke, okay?" Kaito winked, moving his arms down to Shinichi's shoulders and pulling him to the side in a loose hug. Shinichi squirmed out of his hold.

"I should report you to the police right now," Shinichi said, reaching over to pinch Kaito's thigh.

He yelped and moved his arm.

"Hey! I'm injured here!" Kaito protested, baby his ankle with a pout. Hakuba was coming up on them fast, so Kaito chanced it and leaned in close enough to whisper into Shinichi's ear. "Hakuba already suspects who I am. If you tell him, he'll learn just who Conan was. Otherwise, how are you going to explain your own certainty of KID's identity? You've been to only one heist as Shinichi, and that was years ago. You never even got a look at my face."

Shinichi was quiet during Kaito's whispered message. Kaito leaned back and let him process it, dialing back his smile to something more normal for Kuroba Kaito.

"Hey, Hakuba! Have you ever met Shinichi before?" Kaito asked, slinging a friendly arm back around Shinichi's shoulders. Surprisingly, the detective didn't immediately push him off and start making accusations.

"We haven't, officially. I have followed your career since your re-emergence last year, but hadn't made the time to meet you formally, Kudou Shinichi." Hakuba glanced between them, satisfaction on his face. Kaito could see the thoughts forming behind his eyes. "I didn't know you'd met him, Kuroba."

"It's good to officially meet you, too, Hakuba Saguru." Shinichi straightened under Kaito's arm and offered a hand. "I'm familiar with your career, as well."

"And I've known Shinichi for years," Kaito interrupted before Shinichi started spinning tales. Considering how he'd formed his own alias and subsequent cover story, Kaito needed to be ahead of the detective on this one before he made up something even Hakuba would realize was false. "His mother studied under my father before her acting career took off. And my mother meets up with his parents on her own travels, sometimes."

The look the detectives gave him varied. Shinichi looked surprised and relieved that Kaito had something at the ready. Hakuba looked mutinous.

"Strange that you've never mentioned such an acquaintance before," Hakuba said, eyes narrowed dangerously. Kaito let his smile widen.

"Shinichi was involved in some serious trouble. What kind of friend would I be if I just dropped hints about his life around? I'd never let my friend get hurt," Kaito declared, ruffling Shinichi's hair.

"You-" Shinichi cut himself off and shoved Kaito's arm away. "Don't act so familiarly!"

"Don't be mean, Shin-chan," Kaito whined.

"If I had to judge, I'd say you're a terrible friend, Kuroba," Hakuba said. He nodded his head back towards the desk. "They're ready for you."

"Alright." Kaito sighed and gave Shinichi a wink. "Let me know what the doctors say, okay, Shin-chan? I'll kiss it better if I need to!"

The shade of red Shinichi turned had to be painful. He used Hakuba's arm to pull himself upright and escape before Shinichi got over his embarrassment. Kaito predicted he'd be dodging soccer balls in the near future, as soon as Shinichi was feeling better. And once his ankle healed. He hoped Jii was up to pulling a little more weight than usual on their heists.


	9. Meet in the back corner of a music store

Kaito pulled the brim of his hat lower over his face, glancing back and forth before he entered the music store. He nodded to the woman behind the counter, ignoring the smirk on her face. There was a reason he came to buy CDs in person instead of downloading the albums online. And it had everything to do with his mother's uncanny knack for getting her mitts on his purchase history, including the fake accounts he used to throw her off.

At the back corner of the room, rendered in loving detail, was a cut-out of the band ENZO. They made it big during their last year of high school, and he'd started following them after listening to their first music hall performance while waiting for the police cordon to lift. They were really good and he'd fallen a bit in love with all of them.

He settled himself in the corner of the store, grabbing one of the albums and drawing the headphones of the listening station over his ears. He leaned back on the display and closed his eyes, relaxing as they started playing.

He was only two tracks in when he felt someone grab his elbow. A long history of plummeting off the sides of buildings voluntarily and an even longer history of his father's tutelage were the only reasons he didn't start sputtering in shock.

"Excuse me, but you're blocking the display, nii-san," Edogawa Conan said, the sweet, innocent smile on his face he used to con police officers at KID's heists.

"O-oh, sorry," Kaito stepped aside quickly, eyebrows drawn up as Conan reached behind him for one of ENZO's albums. He took off the headphones and placed them back on the listening station.

"You like the band, too?" Conan asked, flipping the CD around to read the track list.

"Ah. Yes. Big fan, actually," he admitted, trying to figure out how to edge away from the child without raising any undue suspicion. Surely, some random person in a music store wasn't enough to raise the detective's instincts for trouble.

"That's cool. Not many people have heard of them. How did you?" Conan looked up from the CD, a polite look of interest replace the big smile.

"One of my friends went to their school before they were famous," Kaito spun together quickly. Technically, Koizumi Itsuki wasn't a friend, only a relative of Akako who he'd met after one of Akako's schemes to capture or kill him fell through. But Kaito figured that was enough of a bonding experience to label them friends. "I went to one of their performances on his recommendation."

"That's interesting. I didn't know KID had idols, too," Conan chirped, stepping to the side. Kaito's eyes widened at the accusation and the subtle maneuvering that had his back against the wall and Conan between him and the only clear exit.

"KID? You wouldn't mean Kaitou KID, would you? What are you-"

"You can save the protesting," Conan interrupted, folding his arms across his chest. Kaito scowled down at him. "You might not realize it, but that's the same outfit KID wore while performing his, I'm sorry, your teleportation trick. If you're going to vanish into the crowd, try not to wear something law enforcement has seen you in before."

"Oh~" Kaito took a breath to steady himself and pry his lips into a smile. Conan actually took a step back, so the smile must not have been very reassuring.

"Hey. I wasn't going to do anything." Conan brandished the CD between them. "I came to buy this. Running into you here wasn't my priority."

"And you still took the time to mock me. For shame, tantei-kun. For shame." Kaito waggled a finger in his face, drawing it back quickly when it looked like Conan might try to bite him.

"You're the one perving on a high school girl band."

"Excuse me? I'm the pervert? I seem to recall we're of a similar experience," Kaito said, somewhat offended that his interest was being so maligned. "And I am a genuine fan. I wasn't lying with that story earlier."

"It wasn't the whole truth either. Who are you thinking to kid?" Conan grumbled, face flushing as Kaito's response hit home.

"Was that on purpose?" Kaito asked, a genuine smile straining to erupt. "And of course it wasn't. I might have watched one of their performances waiting for Nakamori to give up for the night."

"The police on your tail and you decide to catch a concert. Why aren't I surprised." Conan tapped the back of the CD. "I heard about them through Ran."

"She is the type to favor girls bands," Kaito mused, thinking of what he'd learned about Mouri Ran through his varied experiences with the girl. "Not exactly one to get all starry-eyed over famous boys."

"That's more Sonoko's personality," Conan muttered.

"I do remember her being starry-eyed over one famous boy, at any rate," Kaito said, breaking his poker face and letting a devious smile curl his lips. "Enough that she'd forgive a history of jewel theft."

"Do you really want to bring that incident up right now?" Conan asked through gritted teeth, face flushed. Kaito snorted.

"I thought it was adorable, how earnestly she pleaded for dear Shinichi to give up his life of crime." Kaito paused and rubbed his hand in remembrance. "I wouldn't have wanted to stick around for her more violent persuasions."

"I'll show you violent persuasion!" Conan snarled, hand dropping to his belt.

"Wait a minute! Wait! Think about where we are! You really want to get hauled in by the police for vandalizing a music store?" Kaito asked, back hitting the wall as he stepped back. Conan appeared to consider that. Kaito pressed on. "Think about how disappointed Mouri-chan will be."

"If I'm going, I'm taking you with me." Conan stood up right and took a deep breath. "I've been working on my acting."

Kaito blinked at the non-sequitur.

Conan's face transformed into that of a hurt child, crocodile tears welling up in his eyes and great heaving sobs shaking his body. Pure alarm ran down Kaito's spine. He dropped to his knees and started trying to hush the child. Conan just stared back with flat eyes, the rest of his face the picture of an upset child.

"Hey! What're you doing to that boy?" The cashier girl shouted, already coming around the counter with an intent and dangerous look on his face. Kaito glared at the hysterical boy, face paling as the cashier girl drew closer. "Hey!"

"Sorry, sorry! Hey, Conan-kun, Kaito-niisan will buy that CD for you if you could stop crying." Kaito forced his frustration and admiration behind his poker face, pasting on a concerned expression.

"Promise?" Conan asked, voice pitched enough to be hoarse and shaky from crying.

"Promise." Kaito grit out through a smile, taking the CD with one hand and grabbing Conan's with the other. "Sorry about that, ojou-san."

"Are you alright, bouzu?" The cashier asked, dropping to her knees and offering her handkerchief.

"I'm fine, nee-chan. Kaito-nii promised to get my CD, too." Conan wiped his fake, fake tears away and handed back the borrowed handkerchief.

"Well, as long as you're fine." She stood upright, turning a cold look onto Kaito. "So you're buying two copies, then?"

"Just the one today," Kaito said, following her back to the counter and placing the CD down. He squeezed Conan's hand as the boy tried to pull away. He used his other hand to take out his wallet and count out enough money for the CD.

There went the last of his allowance for the month.

"Thank you, Kaito-nii!" Conan smiled up at him as the cashier bagged the CD and passed it down to Conan.

"Please come again," The cashier said, a more blatant lie than Kaito had ever heard. He bowed his head and muttered a few apologies, dragging Conan out of the store.

"I hope you're happy," Kaito said, dropping the detective's hand as soon as they were out of the store. "I'll never be able to go there again and get friendly service."

"I can start crying again," Conan threatened, hugging his CD to his chest.

"Don't you need to get home, bouzu?" Kaito asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Thanks for the CD, KID!" Conan grinned at him and took off into the crowd.

"Brat."


	10. Neighbors in an apartment building

As soon as Shinichi heard the knock to his door, he knew who it would be. He grinned to himself as he put down his case file and hurried to the door. Sure enough, his next door neighbor and aspiring magician, Kuroba Kaito was lounging in the doorway, bag of take-out in hand.

"Hey, Shinichi, hungry?" Kaito asked, already entering the apartment before Shinichi could answer.

"Stove not working again?" Shinichi asked, closing the door behind him and following him back into the kitchen.

"Bingo! Man, you detective types sure are clever," Kaito sang out, back turned so he missed Shinichi's blush, fortunately.

"You really should let the landlord know about it," Shinichi stepped around Kaito and opened his cabinets, passing plates and cups over to Kaito.

"Eh. I can fix it. Just wanted something to eat before I wasted my time." Kaito started opening containers, balancing plates and the cups on his elbow. Shinichi groaned.

"Don't break my dinnerware," he warned, opening his fridge. "Want a beer? Or chocolate milk?"

"Chocolate milk?" Kaito paused. "But you don't like it."

"You do." Shinichi didn't turn around until his blush was gone. "So you want some?"

"Yes, please!" Kaito chirped, waiting for Shinichi to settle at the counter before juggling the boxes, plates, and cups, setting the table with smooth showmanship. Shinichi clapped his hands slowly, a bored look on his face. "Not impressed?"

"I'm extremely happy my fragile dishes survived another one of your performances," Shinichi said, pouring chocolate milk in one of the glasses and water in the other. "Any other reason you felt like stopping by?"

"I can't just come to see you?" Kaito asked, fingers brushing Shinichi's as he handed Kaito's glass over. Shinichi pulled his hands away quickly, looking over the feast that Kaito had provided.

"Felt like a little bit of everything?" Shinichi asked, uncovering boxes of curry, khao soi kai, sweet and sour pork, white rice, and dango.

"I made a few stops on my way home." Kaito started serving himself from several containers, piling the food high on his plate. Shinichi grinned to himself as he did the same.

Somehow, he was sure Kaito knew he was having a bad day and needed cheered up. Otherwise, he doubted the magician would buy Shinichi's favorite take-out dishes, when he knew the only place that sold khao soi kai was three stops past their apartment building.

"How did your performance go?" he asked, relaxing as Kaito started telling him about his day and the tricks he'd used in his routines.

Shinichi had some doubts when Kaito moved in next door. He'd been used to Agasa-hakase and his experiments when he lived in his parents' house. The increasingly bizarre noises and smells from next door alarmed him, right up until his neighbor introduced himself as KID the Phantom Magician. A little research and Shinichi stopped being alarmed when he noticed colored smoke pouring out of the balcony and from under Kaito's door. Instead, he started to be relieved that was all that it was.

The fact that Kaito was gorgeous certainly helped, but that was a reason he was keeping to himself. The one time he'd invited Ran over and introduced her to Kaito, she'd spent the entire time sending him knowing looks and asking teasing questions. He imagined if Kaito knew about it, the teasing and embarrassment would only triple.

"Hey? You still there, tantei-kun?" Kaito snapped his fingers under Shinichi's chin, a tentative smile on his face as Shinichi blinked himself out of his thoughts.

"Sorry." Shinichi grabbed his glass of water and drank half of it. Kaito watched him set the glass down, eyebrows drawn and lips curved into a frown. "I had a long day."

"I know," Kaito said, suddenly dropping his eyes to the table. "I, uh, called Hakuba when I couldn't get your cell. He said you'd been involved in that hostage case."

"Yeah. It wasn't good." His number one suspect in a homicide cold case panicked when Shinichi called him to set up an interview, taking a class of children on tour of the museum he worked security for hostage. He'd managed to injure one of the children before they could save them, but thankfully not fatally.

"Considering you usually put up more of a fuss when I try to barge in, I gathered." Kaito reached out to hold his wrist, drawing Shinichi's eyes to his own soft smile. "Everything turned out alright."

"It did," Shinichi agreed, slipping his hand from under Kaito's, unable to stop grinning.

"And my day went well, since you obviously didn't hear a word I said earlier." Kaito started eating again, draining his entire glass of chocolate milk when he paused for breath. Shinichi wasn't sure if being horrified or impressed was appropriate.

"Sorry," he apologized, getting up to refill Kaito's glass.

"Ah! Sit and eat! You've been working all day so I know you haven't eaten! I've been here enough that you don't have to treat me like a guest." Kaito moved quickly, pressing Shinichi back down into his chair and digging through the refrigerator in moments.

"You're over here enough I should be charging you for rent and utilities," Shinichi muttered, taking a larger portion of the sweet and sour pork. Kaito hip-checked the fridge closed and hummed.

"It's not my fault the appliances in my apartment are determined to rise up against me." Kaito settled back in his seat with a heavy thud, finishing off everything on his plate as Shinichi finished his portion of pork.

"Just the appliances? I remember your shower extracting some revenge on you last week." It had brought Kaito, clad in only a towel and carrying his clothes and shower caddy under his arm, to Shinichi's door and begging to use his shower. He'd barely had enough concentration to agree, just pushed the door open and gaped as Kaito brushed past him for the bathroom.

"I've talked to the landlord, but you know how much good that does. If I can fix it myself, I might as well." Kaito shrugged, as if engineering his appliances to work, not only better but certainly stranger, was an every day occurrence. Shinichi still had nightmares about the toaster Kaito had cannibalized and rebuilt using parts of a robotic vacuum, so it would zip up and down his counter tops offering toast.

"It seems to happen a lot," Shinichi commented, thinking back over how often Kaito would pop in with a problem, once even letting himself in by picking the lock. Kaito froze, paling a little as Shinichi studied him. "In fact, it seems to happen more than it should."

"Uh. Hate to eat and run, but I've got an early show tomorrow. How about you finish everything, yeah?" Kaito asked, pushing away from the table and hurriedly making his way to the door.

"Kaito! Wait a second!" Shinichi chased after him, not making it to the door before Kaito was outside, striding down the hallway and unlocking his own door with a flick of his wrist. Shinichi lunged for the door before Kaito could close it. "Hey!"

"Are we really going to do this now?" Kaito whined, giving up the door with a sigh. Shinichi backed him into his apartment, glancing around for the treacherous obstacles Kaito couldn't help but leave around. "I know what you're going to say, alright. I just need some time to get over it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but shut up," Shinichi said, picking his way through the odds and ends Kaito had scattered over his floor. Somehow the weird little toaster had made its way to the floor, traveling around the hallway in haphazard lines.

"You have to know what I'm talking about. I've been pretty transparent about the whole situation." Kaito picked up his toaster and carried it into his kitchen, setting it on the counter. It rolled past them to the charging station by the stove. An electric stove, Shinichi noticed, that seemed to be in working condition.

"Not to me it isn't." Shinichi waved a hand at the stove. "You don't need an excuse to come hang out."

Kaito rolled his eyes, running both his hands through his hair with a huff. "Okay. Then I'll tell you plainly. I am in love with you."

"No."

"Yes." Kaito spread his arms, face as open as he'd ever seen it. "Since the time you moved in, really."

"You aren't," Shinichi maintained. He felt like they were having two separate conversations, because what Kaito was saying made no sense at all.

"I am." Kaito shrugged, looking for all the world like this wasn't an important detail. Like Shinichi just asked if it was raining. "I wasn't going to tell you."

"Why not?" Shinichi brought a hand up to his mouth. He hadn't meant to sound so upset. Kaito obviously didn't expect it either, because his face creased in worry and embarrassment.

"Well, you've got your life together, you know? I've met all your friends and co-workers. They're really great people, passionate. I don't really compete." Kaito looked away, hands clenching into fists at his side. "So I wasn't going to burden you with it. As long as you could be happy, I'd be fine."

It did explain Kaito's fake enthusiasm when Ran suggested taking him to a goukon. And his tendency to wander over whenever he thought Shinichi might need to be cheered up. And the fact that he'd never seen the magician go out with anyone, or talk about going out with anyone, in all the time he'd known him.

"You're really stupid," Shinichi said, shocking both of them. Kaito's face darkened, but Shinichi stepped forward and threw his arms around Kaito's shoulders tightly. "Haven't you realized you make me happy?"

Then Kaito's arms were coming up and catching him about the waist, turning his head to bury his nose in Shinichi's hair as he pulled the detective in tighter. Shinichi let him press in close, enough that he could feel Kaito's chest moving with each breath.


	11. Sleepy kisses

The hardest part about living with an international jewel thief was the hours. Kaito's seemingly unpredictable hours actually were neatly timed and parceled out, estimated to the second and executed perfectly. The degree to which Kaito could bend reality and time itself so things fell seamlessly into his plans worried Shinichi.

But Kaito's having a reliable schedule didn't mean that Shinichi's fell into line, much to the thief's displeasure. It was only on the rare occasion that they both had free time at the same time, and they weren't just communicating by phone, email, and notes pinned to the fridge. They tended to take advantage of their time together, Kaito's near-supernatural abilities carving out hours and days at a time for their pleasure. But Shinichi's luck had proven to be the more unpredictable of the two. So instead of Shinichi being home to enjoy Kaito's marathon planning session, he crept home later in the night, well after Kaito had already gone to bed.

The nicest thing about living with an international jewel thief was that you began to pick up their habits, which had the bonus of making his life easier. He could creep down streets unseen, read lips better than he could read faces, and read faces like he could read books. It was ridiculously simple to enter his own house and avoid all of the pitfalls and traps Kaito left behind for the unsuspecting but determined to invade their home.

He walked through his house on cat quiet feet, divesting himself of his shoes and coat at the door. There was evidence of Kaito scattered throughout the rooms Shinichi passed, a cape spread over the couch, stacks of books on the desk in the library, dishes along the counter in the kitchen.

But there was only one place Kaito would be right now.

Shinichi's parents' room would always be theirs, but Kaito had taken over Shinichi's room, and some home renovation that had honestly surprised him later, it was hard to say which one had been the true master bedroom to an unfamiliar eye. The new master bedroom was then granted a king-sized bed, a four-poster with curtains that Kaito insisted were necessary.

He stopped in the doorway, lips curling at the clothes tossed on the ground between the doorway and the bed. The curtains were drawn, deep blue and of a heavy material that blocked out all light within the bed. Necessary, Shinichi remembered, because Kaito's perfect schedule didn't make allowances for the normal passage of the days.

He dropped his own clothes to the ground, certain that in the morning it would all be cleaned up and in a hamper, because he could count on Kaito for those things. He slipped in through the curtains, blinking quickly to get used to the absolute dark within the bed.

He oriented himself using Kaito's deep and steady breaths, crawling forward until he could lay within arm's reach.

Faster than he could process, he was on his back, wrists held in one hand over his head and a razor-tipped card pressed to his throat. Kaito didn't move and Shinichi held his breath.

Then Kaito was sprawled over the top of him, humming and muttering nonsense into his throat. Shinichi used his newly freed hands to smooth up and down Kaito's back, reassuring the thief without words. Kaito's mouth found purchase, and he was sucking marks into Shinichi's neck.

"Shinichi," Kaito mumbled, voice slurry with sleep. He navigated the absolute darkness effortlessly, nipping kisses on Shinichi's lips. Shinichi relaxed under the assault, getting a grip around Kaito's waist and rolling them to the side. "Missed you."

"Go to sleep," Shinichi whispered back, pulling away from the biting kisses. Kaito groaned and wiggled his arms around Shinichi, rolling until he was on his back with Shinichi draped over him.

It was easier to fall asleep with Kaito's chest under his cheek, listening to his heartbeat, than it would have been to protest. The thief dropped kisses on Shinichi's hair, lips hovering in place as he finally sank into deep sleep.


	12. Inappropriately timed proposals

They might have been plummeting to their deaths, but it was hardly the first time it happened to them. It wasn't even the first time it happened to them in a plane. At least this time, Shinichi was adult-sized and perfectly capable of landing the plane himself.

"Marry me," Kaito demanded, ignoring the rapidly approaching ocean he could see through the windshield.

"What?" Shinichi asked, straining the controls upwards and grimacing as the plane leveled out. "I think that was engine three blowing up. Kaito, how far out are we?"

"I said, marry me." Kaito cleared his throat, grabbing the map index from where he'd dropped it when the plane's engine exploded. "Roughly 500 kilometers."

"Check the passengers. Tell them to get ready for a hard landing." Shinichi tossed a quick grin over his shoulder before turning back to the controls with a determined set to his shoulders.

There were moments that Kaito wanted immortalized, when snapping a picture wouldn't do justice to the feelings that Shinichi inspired within him. From the arrogant tilt of his chin to the fierce way his eyes shined, Kaito fell more in love with someone he would have been better off avoiding.

He'd never been the type before to want to worship at the altar of another. But there was something about the detective that brought him to his knees, offering his wrists for restraints. It was obvious to anyone who knew him, meaning Aoko, Hakuba, Akako, Jii, and his mother, but so far no one had been able to tell that KID was under the same spell as Kaito, not even Hakuba.

This wasn't anything like their first time landing a plane together. Instead of a homicide gone wrong, some new criminal organization growing out of the roots of the Black Org decided their first major play would be to take a passenger plane hostage. Unfortunately for them, the majority of the KID task force with Kaito, Shinichi, and Hakuba were on their way back from KID's treasure hunt on Rebun Island on the very plane they'd decided to hijack. They had been quickly subdued, but not before one of them attempted to take out the entirety of the plane instead of taking hostages.

Kaito had been hard-pressed to leave everything in the hands of the police, but as soon as their escapee blew an engine and primed the other for imminent explosion, something had to be done. He was careful to not use his KID tricks, sticking mainly with items Kaito would normally carry and Shinichi's dart watch. In the end, they'd restrained their would-be terrorists in the first class section under guard, while the rest of the task force was down in the commercial class to watch over the passengers.

"We're getting ready to land," Kaito said, stepping through the door that separated the cockpit from the first class section. Hakuba and Nakamori both looked up at him, faces grim and somewhat anxious. Kaito gave them his widest grin, offering them a victory sign. "We're going to be fine. Have everyone brace themselves, yeah?"

"I'll do it," Hakuba volunteered, unbuckling and walking down the aisle past their unconscious terrorists. His balance was off due to the struggle Shinichi was having keeping the plane even and in the air with only two engines.

"Kaito-kun, are you sure you don't need someone else to co-pilot?" Nakamori asked, reaching out to grab Kaito's shoulder as the plane rocked.

"Kudou just needed another pair of hands. He showed me everything I needed to do," Kaito assured, touched that Nakamori was so worried about him. "It's not going to be an easy landing."

"We'll be fine," Nakamori said, looking over his shoulder at the bound and gagged terrorists in the seats behind him. Kaito nodded, eyes narrowed as Hakuba came back and stopped next to him.

"Don't kill us," Hakuba ground out, eyes flitting back and forth between Kaito, Nakamori, and the cockpit door. "I'm trusting you on this, Kuroba."

"Have I ever let anyone get hurt?" Kaito asked, crossing his arms behind his head which blocked Nakamori from seeing his expression so he could let a KID smirk curl his lips. Hakuba looked visibly pained, but relented. "Buckle up!"

He headed back into the cockpit, firmly shutting the door and re-settling in the co-pilot seat. Shinichi's forehead was beaded with sweat and his arms were tense, struggling with the controls of the plane to keep the nose up and headed toward the strip of land they'd scooped out between their know-how and the tower's recommendation.

Kaito let himself look for a minute, despite the dangerous situation. It was likely his dogged determination and implacable spirit that first drew Kaito in, but it was the depth of how much he cared that made him stay. Shinichi would give everything to make sure they came out of this situation safe.

"Everyone's been warned." Kaito grabbed the second headset and placed it back on, ignoring the chatter over the line as the tower walked them through basic landing procedure. "You've got this."

"Good." Shinichi's voice was hard, more strain in his tone than Kaito had expected. He reached over and placed a hand on Shinichi's shoulder, running it over his neck and squeezing his nape.

"You've got this," Kaito repeated, stretched over the controls and uncaring as the shoreline started to approach them rapidly.

"Get ready to land," Shinichi gritted out, pulling hard to get the nose of the plane higher up. Kaito let go of his nape, hands following procedure as the wheels descended and they hit the ground hard. Shinichi cried out at the force of the landing, and Kaito choked back his own shout. Dials were flashing as they wrestled the plane to a stop on the beach.

Everything was silent. Kaito could hear a ringing in his ears, fingers clenched tight around the lever at his side and the steering column before him. He exhaled hard and pried his hands away, fingers shaking just a bit before he could stop them. He started laughing, softly and then gaining as he leaned back in the seat.

Kaito turned his smile on Shinichi, who looked stunned and triumphant and more beautiful than every jewel and stone Kaito had ever stolen. The smile that crawled over his face grew larger.

"Are you still alive?" Shinichi asked, pushing his hair off his forehead with one trembling hand.

"Better than," Kaito responded, grabbing Shinichi's neck and lunging over the console between them. He used his hold on Shinichi to drag the detective closer, until he could seal their mouths together and try to show his love and appreciation. Shinichi's hands slid into his hair, gripping so tightly Kaito was afraid he'd pull away and it would all fall out. It didn't stop him from pushing in more, wresting Shinichi's mouth open with his tongue and mapping the inside of his mouth.

"Kuroba! Kudou-kun! Are you alive in there?!" Hakuba shouted from the other side of the door, banging his fist once. Kaito let Shinichi pull away from the kiss, resting his forehead against Shinichi's while he caught his breath.

"I'm going to kill him," Kaito whispered.

Shinichi snorted a laugh, dropping his hands to hold Kaito's face between them. "After you just saved his life? I doubt it."

"The worst," Kaito muttered, unwilling to move away when Shinichi was focused on him. He thirsted for Shinichi's attention on the average day. Having all of it turned on him right now, it made him a little dizzy.

"Once we get off this plane and everything's fine, I want you to ask me again," Shinichi said, words registering but their meaning lost. Kaito frowned at him.

"What?"

Shinichi just gave him an arch look, using one hand to push Kaito away and climb to his feet. Kaito watched him leave, assuring Hakuba at the door that they were both fine and asking about the progress for their rescue.


	13. Incredibly long cross-country train ride

So, this one got away from me. I didn't anticipate getting wrapped up in each drabble, but obviously it's going to happen. Future note: drabbles will vary in length, and could possibly span into short epic-length stories on their own. I will not be moving them from within the drabble collection unless otherwise convinced.

* * *

><p>"Wow! Kaito, look at this view!" Aoko ran to the window, pressing her face against the glass. The sky over the Sea of Japan was stunning, an entire world turned gold and blue beyond their little window. He stepped up beside her and spread his hands over the sun, light spilling through his fingers and washing over their faces.<p>

"I told you this would be worth it," Kaito teased, dropping his hands by his side and leaning back as she swung around to face him. His mocking tone didn't do anything to bring her mood down. She grabbed his arm and hugged him tightly.

"I apologize for not believing you," she said, shoulders shaking just a bit as she swallowed back her tears. "Are you really set on Kyodai?"

"Hey, hey. No tears." Kaito pulled handkerchiefs from his hair, a rainbow of silk that wrapped around Aoko's throat like a scarf. She giggled, bringing one up to dab at her eyes and untangling the others from around her neck. "I can be on a train back to Tokyo in no time."

"I guess," Aoko finally took in the rest of the room, the two beds aligned together with only a narrow aisle between them, the chairs before the window, the appliances and tv, and the en-suite bathroom. "This must have cost you a lot of money."

"Not so much," Kaito said, dropping into one of the chairs and relaxing. He kicked his feet up on his bag in front of the chair, stretching out his back. "I picked up all those performances, so this is nothing."

"Still, it's very impressive for a graduation gift." Aoko settled on the arm of the chair next to him, pulling out her phone and taking a picture of the ocean beyond the train.

Kaito snorted. "Hakuba was trying to drag you to Paris. This is small fry."

"I wouldn't have been able to see you in Paris, though," Aoko said, warmth in her voice that had Kaito looking up through his bangs. "And Saguru is going to be in Toudai with me. I'll get to see him every day."

"For the rest of your life," Kaito muttered, remembering with some unpleasantness that Hakuba fully intended to marry Aoko, come KID or high water.

"So you better appreciate the time we have together now," Aoko warned. "Or I'll be forced to refuse your participation in our wedding."

"Urg, Aoko. No tears and no Hakuba from now on." Kaito avoided the impending slap, sliding out of the chair to the floor and rolling on the balls of his feet into a smooth spin. Aoko overbalanced and fell into his abandoned chair. "Want to go explore?"

"Shouldn't we unpack first?" Aoko pushed herself upright, lifting her bag and settling it on one of the beds. Kaito scoffed.

"It's just one night on the train. And you can set up your toiletries later," Kaito said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from the bed. "Don't you want to scope out the best view for sunset?"

"I would like to see other parts of the train," Aoko agreed tentatively, tangling her fingers with Kaito's.

"Then let's go!"

There wasn't much to see outside their rooms. The appeal of the train was in the spectacular view and the long voyage, not in the inner accommodations, though those were nice was well. The long hallways outside of the others rooms all looked the same, with only the dining car, saloon car, and a small meeting room at the far end of the train. But Aoko stopped every so often to take pictures, of the view, of the décor, of the few others walking about the train.

"They're serving lunch, aren't they?" Aoko asked, finally releasing his hand to take a picture of the two of them standing in the small meeting room with the Sea of Japan at their backs through the window.

"Yeah. Didn't need reservations for that. Hope you feel like French cuisine for dinner." Kaito took out his own phone, snapping a picture of Aoko distracted by the view.

"To make up for not going to Paris?" she teased, laughing in his face as he grimaced. "Sorry, sorry. It's the last time I'll bring it up. Promise."

"You're a mean girl, Aoko." Kaito bowed as he opened the door, frowning as Aoko started laughing. "What?"

"That's the most realistic double yet, Kaito," Aoko said, coming up beside him and reaching out.

Kaito grabbed her hand before she could make contact.

What the hell was Kudou Shinichi doing on their train?!

"That's not a double!" Kaito gently pulled her back and offered a polite smile to Kudou.

"What?" Aoko looked between them and blushed. "Oh no. I'm sorry!"

"It's alright. It was a surprise for me, too." Kudou stepped to his side and, that was Mouri Ran, wasn't it? "My friend looks a lot like you."

"Oh wow," Mouri said, giving both of them a bright look of interest.

"Yeah," Aoko agreed, bowing to the pair of them. She elbowed Kaito when he didn't move. "I'm Nakamori Aoko, and this is Kuroba Kaito. We're traveling to Sapporo."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Mouri Ran and this is Kudou Shinichi. We're actually traveling to Sapporo with some friends, too."

"Nice to meet you!" Aoko elbowed Kaito again. "He's pleased to meet you too."

"Ow, Aoko!" Kaito rubbed at his side, pulling himself out of his internal panic. Kudou still hadn't said anything, and that made Kaito nervous. They'd only met once as KID and Shinichi. KID and Conan's temporary alliance fell to ash when Conan became Shinichi again and the Black Org fell. As informed as KID was about Conan's life, Conan hadn't pressed for any information on KID's, so the burden for getting into contact again fell to KID's shoulders.

And KID, only the mysterious and enigmatic rival turned reluctant ally, never tried.

He had thought about it. But Snake hadn't gone, the group after KID slipping away from justice and right onto his tail, and there hadn't been a reason to ruin Kudou's life now that he'd reclaimed it. Thieves didn't do reciprocity.

"Be polite!" She hissed back before turning a smile on their new friends. "We were just heading to lunch. Would you like to come with us?"

"That would be great," Mouri said, looking at her companion with a slight frown.

Kaito wondered if that had developed for the detective, if they were finally together now that Conan and the necessary lies weren't between them. It was a thought that sat like acid, dripping down through his chest and shortening his breath.

"Hattori and Toyama should already be there," Kudou said, waving a hand back towards the dining car.

Mouri and Aoko started back first, Aoko tossing a worried frown back to Kaito. Kudou didn't move until Kaito swallowed back his nerves and went after them. Kudou fell in step with him, the silence between them grating at Kaito's calm.

"Kuroba Kaito, wasn't it?" Kudou asked, but it wasn't much of a question. "Was that on purpose?"

He didn't have to ask the detective what he meant. There weren't many people in Japan with similar faces, and KID's ability to masquerade as Kudou without a mask was more than enough evidence to place Kaito as the number one suspect. It'd be tedious to listen to Kudou's deductions.

"Different kanji. I'm sure tou-san meant to make a joke. Or maybe kaa-san. It's a bit of a family trade." Kaito pushed his hands in his pockets to hide the fact they were shaking.

"That must have been interesting," Kudou said, slowly and with a measured note in his voice that warned Kaito he'd already noted Kaito's strange behavior.

"It was while it lasted. Now, I tend to make my own fun." Kaito cracked a smirk, one of the few expressions that melted easily from his poker face.

"I don't think the police call it fun." Kudou stopped, grabbing Kaito's shoulder and glancing back and forth down the hallway. Kaito considered protesting, but Kudou was already pushing him inside one of the twin rooms, essentially caging him in with an angry detective and no escape. "I thought we were friends, KID."

"Allies, maybe. A distraction, certainly. But friends?" Kaito laughed, holding his ground in front of the small window. KID's persona settled over his shoulders, and Kaito took comfort in the familiar confrontation. "Meitantei, why would I ever befriend one of my hunters?"

"Is that really how you see it? Hunter and prey?"

"I'm nothing like prey," Kaito snarled the last word, composing himself with a quiet huff. "We were allies against a greater threat. You'd never been interested in petty thieves, so I let you move on with your life. It's not like you've been to one of my parties, since Conan."

Kudou stared at him, eyes dark and face set. "I always made exceptions for you before."

"Right. Suzuki's niece is your girlfriend's best friend. It held to reason that Mouri's little charge would tag along to heists. What exceptions are there to make now? There's no one to chide you along after me."

"If you don't think Sonoko hasn't tried to force me to one of your heists-"

"And you never came," Kaito cut in. "You haven't been to a single one. It was fun, meitantei, but there's no reason to intersect our lives."

Kudou seemed to lose his steam at that, body language turning from confrontation to indifferent surrender. Kaito took one of his hands from his pockets, opening his phone and sending a quick text to Aoko. He ignored Kudou as he read her quick reply.

"They're waiting for us. Time to go."

And Kaito passed him, stepping out into the hallway and using the chance at having Kudou at his back to let his expression crumble at the edges, blinking back the hurt and anger, when Kudou followed him. He ignored the detective until they were in the dining car, Aoko seated with Mouri, Hattori Heiji, and Toyama Kazuha. It occurred to him that he'd surrounded himself with the morally upright, three children of police, two detectives, and the perceptive daughter of a detective. And dear Hakuba who was both a son of justice and detective, like Hattori Heiji, who would be meeting them in Sapporo after flying back from London.

He started laughing, drawing the attention of several passengers and Aoko, who was flushed and happy and incandescent when she started laughing with him. Kaito saw Kudou's hand come forward, like he was going to touch, and Kaito moved away before he could, a bouncy step in his stride as he came upon their table.

"Aoko! You look like you're having fun." Kaito bowed and drew three roses from his sleeve, a blushing pink for Aoko and yellow roses for Mouri and Toyama. "Sorry to be so rude earlier, Mouri-chan. I am Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire!"

Aoko took her rose with a teasing roll of her eyes, tucking it up in her hair. Mouri and Toyama both awed overt the trick, closing their fingers around their on roses. Hattori gave Kaito a sour look, so he pulled another one from his sleeve, dyed a rich emerald green.

"To match your mood," Kaito said, pinning it to Hattori's chest with a quick step forward. "Don't worry. I'm harmless."

Toyama laughed at Hattori's scowl.

"I don't want a flower!" He pulled the rose off, sharp eyes running over Kaito's confident smile. "And I wasn't jealous."

"Everyone got a rose but you, of course you were feeling jealous." Kaito waved a hand, dismissing the irritation he could see wrinkling Hattori's brow. Aoko slid over, patting the seat next to her. Mouri made room for Kudou, leaving Toyama, Aoko and Kaito on one side and Hattori, Mouri, and Kudou on the other.

"Did you give one to Kudou-kun?" Aoko asked, handing one of the lunch plates over to Kaito. He took it from her, concentrating on not dropping the chopsticks on top of the plate instead of meeting Kudou's eyes.

"I'm good without one," Kudou volunteered, same steady tone as earlier when he commented on Kaito's family.

"Kaito! I told you to not be rude!" Aoko hissed, stepping on Kaito's foot in punishment. He hid his grimace under a cocky smile, picking up his chopsticks instead of appeasing her.

"My roses are special!" he protested, turning his attention to his food.

"Exactly," Aoko agreed, but the others weren't paying them much attention, Toyama and Mouri both giggling over Hattori's stormy expression and destruction of the rose. "But you had one for a joke."

Kaito sighed and placed his chopsticks down. "Aoko-"

"This is Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha. They live in Osaka, and they're both children of police officers, like I am. Hattori-kun's joining the police force as a detective, and Toyama-chan's hopes to join the National Police Agency." Aoko said over him, ignoring his hurt look and attempted placation.

"Nakamori, daughter of Nakamori Ginzo, correct?" Kudou asked, eating his own meal while Mouri turned her attention away from Hattori and Toyama.

"My dad. I'm joining the police force because of him. Truly, as soon as we get back to Ekoda, I should know about my application process."

"Aren't you worried about the physical endurance test?" Toyama drew Aoko in, discussing the application process and their various concerns about the written test. The physical fitness conversation even drew in Mouri, who contributed with her own knowledge of karate and judo, and Hattori, who suggested his own kendo training.

"That's got to be pretty lonely," Kudou said.

Kaito pretended not to know what he was talking about. "Aoko's got a mean swing with a mop. She'll pass easily."

"So it's just me, then. It's not that you can't be friends with your hunters. You won't be friends with me." Kudou's voice was quiet, soft enough that Kaito doubted Mouri could hear him if she tried.

"That's how it is. I've known her as long as you've known Mouri-chan. Even if I made her leave, she's still tied to me. Isn't that right, Conan-kun?" Kaito brought his arm up, leaning on his elbow and resting his chin in his hand.

Kudou flinched at the name. It didn't make Kaito feel better.

"-even in Division Two," Aoko said, a chill racing up Kaito's spine and a sudden feeling of dread at the words. "We've had two officers injured just chasing after that ridiculous thief. Being shot, I don't want to imagine it."

Kaito closed his eyes. He didn't need to imagine it. He knew how it felt, and he realized that while he was taunting Kudou, the rest of the group had turned their conversation to the dangers of being a police officer. And Kudou's expression turned fierce.

"There was a shooting at the KID heist? Why wasn't that in the paper?" And Kudou had everyone's attention, throwing off whatever cheery atmosphere they'd managed to create. Only Hattori looked like he had a clue what was happening.

"They're investigating whether or not KID had anything to do with it. Just because he's been non-violent so far, he's still a criminal and he could always decide to escalate." Aoko's face turned grim, and Kaito knew she was remembering the speech Nakamori had given to his task force immediately after the heist. "It's staying under internal review until they can get evidence on the shooter."

"Seems reckless to endanger the public if there's shootings at one of KID's heists." Hattori commented, Toyama and Mouri echoing him sadly.

"KID still has heists. There aren't any more notices in the papers, but he still sends them to the police department. And there's never much of a crowd anymore." Aoko nodded to Kaito. "Sometimes, it's just me, Kaito, and some plain clothes officers, but there's no big crowd like there once was. "

"Which is a shame. KID is an excellent magician," Kaito said, producing a shower of confetti and glitter with a flick of his wrist. It rained over the table and was swept away just as fast as it had appeared. "I miss seeing his big performances."

"I only ever went to one," Kudou said, mirroring Kaito's earlier pose and resting his chin in hand. "That big clock tower in Ekoda. Almost caught him, too."

"Did not!" Kaito protested before he could think better of it.

"All we would have needed to do was cordon off the crowd and check everyone over. But, the code he'd left behind was more interesting." Kudou held Kaito's eyes, a challenging stare egging on Kaito to say something.

"I will not give this clock to anyone, right?" Hattori said, breaking Kaito and Kudou's staring. "What happened to it?"

"It's still there," Aoko said, an all too familiar expression of happiness and unease on her face. "The owners were crooked, and eventually the ownership reverted to a distant relative of the original owner. She's a KID fan so she's left the clock tower and KID's message alone."

"It was interesting because I didn't think thieves had any kind of honor."

Kaito gritted his teeth behind his smile, shoulders drawing up and tense. "KID's a magician, as well. You have to have some honor to become one of those."

"KID's more of a performer than a magician. He's only after his own amusement. The crowd being there is incidental, when they're not needed to make one of his tricks happen."

"A performer?!" Kaito almost lunged across the table.

"He's exposed a few murderers and counterfeiters, but not for justice's sake. He wanted something from someone involved every time. He's not someone we should be celebrating."

"Exactly, Kudou-kun," Aoko agreed happily. "Hakuba and I have always believed that. Kaito's the only one who argues against it."

"Magicians need to stick together," Kaito said, emphasizing his own title for KID. "Otherwise, we will all be reduced to nothing but amusing past times to people determined to expose all our tricks and ruin our dreams."

"Plenty of people go to magic shows for the sole reason of exposing the magician's tricks."

"And those people disgust me," Kaito growled, all humor leeched from his face. "You might enjoy taking the fantasy out of every day life, but what gives you the right to take it from others? What gives you the right to point at a harmless trick and cry foul? People believe in what we do because they want to feel like something beyond their lives is amazing, can give them something to wonder over."

"I can still admire the skill it takes to make those tricks happen."

"And then point at the magician. The curtain's drawn away, and everyone realizes it's nothing but a man and his smoke and mirrors. It's an entire relationship built on secrets and trust. When you take that away, we're nothing. It's an empty stage and empty promises and no one cares because you're the one playing the tricks. No one empathizes with the villain."

"Kaito-" Aoko's voice sounded distant, trembling and fragile, but Kaito only had eyes for Kudou.

"And you live your whole life on that stage. So when someone comes along and pulls it apart, rips up your foundations and sets the whole place on fire, how is that fair? Why are you celebrated for pulling apart my dreams?" Kaito's voice broke just a bit, anger and a chasm of grief drowning out everything but the increasingly unnerved expression on Kudou's face. "You're nothing but a critic."

He pushed away from the table, away from Aoko and Kudou and a conversation he let too much of his true self participate in. He didn't care where he went. As long as it was away.

He found one of the doors leading outside and picked it open. It was hardly worth any effort to swing himself on top of the train, bracing himself against the wind and from falling over the side. It was much less dangerous that the time he'd been standing on a train facing down Snake, then later facing down Conan. But there was enough cool air and uncertainty of safety that he felt something unfurl in his chest. He hadn't been much of a daredevil before KID, but dancing on the edge of ruin made him all the more happy to be alive.

The closest experience he could have with his father as the man himself was long dead.

He watched the sunset from the top of the train, skipping dinner with Aoko. He didn't want to see her, to know she'd ask about his unnatural temper and the grief he was sure she'd seen in his face. She knew him better than he thought she realized, some part of herself being willfully ignorant about how much he and KID were one and the same.

She knew him well enough to read what had touched off his outburst, to connect the familiar disparaging remarks about magicians with the headlines questioning his father's sanity, his career, how he'd tempted fate by playing with fire. How it had to be a magician's dream to die on stage.

Like dying was some great trick for everyone to see. Like dying had brought peace.

Like it wasn't his greatest nightmare to die as KID.

"I thought I'd find you up here."

Kaito stiffened as Kudou climbed up to the roof of the train, gripping hard to avoid being swept off his feet.

"I don't want company, meitantei. Leave." Kaito nearly set his back to Kudou, but held back, feeling that he'd be darted and dropped inside the train if he didn't watch the detective.

"Nakamori explained about your father. I didn't mean to say your profession was-"

"You said those things to goad me into arguing with you. I'm not stupid. I know why you said what you did. I don't want an apology."

"I mess things up when I try to talk to you." Kudou sighed. "Hattori knows how KID helped bring down the Black Org. He thinks I've been refraining from going to KID's heists as a way to thank him. Ran thinks I'm avoiding them because of how much publicity they get, and I've had enough of being in the papers. In a way, they're both right."

"I don't need thanks-"

"You helped me when I was at my weakest. And you kept helping me until I was cured. At first, I thought maybe you didn't know how to deal with me when you'd only known the child me. But you didn't treat me like a child after the Memories Egg. It's always been about even ground." Kudou used one hand to brace himself on the train, but he stretched out the other until he held Kaito's arm. "But it's never been even ground. You were always the one in charge of our encounters. And I didn't question it."

"Even KID is allowed his privacy," Kaito repeated, one of the last things he'd ever said to Kudou when Kudou was making the transition from Conan.

"Why do you think I wouldn't help you? Why I wouldn't believe you if you said you were in danger? I would have hunted down every last person taking shots at you, not stopped until they were locked away and you could still steal and rob and play bandit to your heart's content." Kudou's fingers tightened around his arm, but Kaito didn't pull away.

"Would have?"

"Will do so," Kudou clarified. "If I'd known you were being threatened before, I would have ignored your indifference."

"It's not indifference. It's concern. You've got your life back. You've got your girl, your career, your entire life ahead to being whatever you want." Kaito almost shouted the words, the sudden lash of anger rising through his chest again, rising up and displacing the tendrils of KID's persona.

"I stayed away from your heists because I cared more about the person under the mystery than I did about solving it. And you didn't want to be unmasked."

"Don't talk about me like you get it. You read motives and murders like I do dreams and fears. I can see all the secrets you're hiding on your face plainly. That might be part of the truth, but there are still two liars on this train."

"Then you should leave the deductions to the professional," Kudou snapped back. "You're too angry and afraid, you're responding to things like I've already condemned you."

"I'm not reading anything but what's there. More shame on you if you can't tell," Kaito snarled, because he didn't read people wrong. He might not have been able to read their lives from their handshakes like Kudou could be rumored, but he could read their hearts in their eyes. KID's tricks weren't all magic.

"I wanted you to trust me like I trusted you!" Kudou shouted, fingers a vice around Kaito's arm. He didn't even try to hide the flash of pain. "I waited for you to realize I was still there. I don't have Ran. I don't technically have a career. But I thought I had you. And you left me to protect yourself."

"Two of my officers nearly died, Kudou. Shot in the stomach. If the heist hadn't been so close to the hospital, they would have. When it was equal, when you were in just as much danger as I was, it was fine, because I could keep a child away from danger. As you are now..." Kaito trailed away and decided to let slip the biggest secret he still had left. Better to use it before Kudou could root it out and brandish it as a reason to let him in. Better to use it as a weapon than to be offered as an olive branch. "These people know me. They watch me. Watch who I'm close to. And they're only letting me continue because I've been helpful."

"You know who they are?" Kudou asked, seeming to disregard everything else.

"I still have nothing on them. Do you really think I wouldn't have foisted them out, brought them down, ruined them, if I had everything I needed to at my fingertips? Do you think KID hasn't tried?"

Kudou shook him, the expression on his face one Kaito remembered the roots of in Conan's growing frame. It had been fierce as a child. Grown, Kudou could level mountains with that kind of intensity and focus.

It meant nothing to a phantom.

"They know what I'd done for you. What we'd done to the Black Org. And if KID could do that with a child, what could he do when he turned all those detectives and police officers after him onto them?" Kaito laughed, ugly and small and let fly the last poison-tipped arrow. "So they shot two of my officers and left me a notice of their own. My next heist is going to be KID's final."

Kudou looked lost for words, like he'd been when KID had touched down in his backyard, fresh from a heist and a murder of crows, offering the Sundrop Diamond in one hand and the apotoxin in the other. It had been pure delight to rouse that reaction from the detective, so much that his heart had swelled and he'd known right then he was as surely shackled to Conan as he was to Aoko.

"Nakamori said this was a graduation trip. That you'd been accepted to Kyodai."

"All true."

"You're giving up?" Kudou asked, the thin slivers of hope in his voice slipping under all of Kaito's righteous anger and grief and cutting into the heart Kaito had been holding together with force of will.

"No."

He blinked back the tears, turning his face into the wind and letting them slip down by pretending they were just from the bite of the wind. It wasn't a hard choice in the end, what he'd chosen to do. There were a thousand more gems in the world that could be Pandora, but he had bet his life he'd take the true one and for once, his luck had tanked. They'd been willing to let his petty declaration to destroy Pandora endure, but not any longer. If he went after the Sun Splinter, he'd be forcefully reunited with his father.

"Final curtain, meitantei." Kaito reached up and took hold of Kudou's hand, prying off his fingers one by one, indulging himself for a second and imagining he had the right to twine their fingers together and head for the future. "Don't wait around for me."

"Kaito," Kudou whispered, eyes wide with a thousand things Kaito could read with a glance. The brilliant futures rose and fell, willful indignation and pure stubborn might burning out the grief and horror he could see lurking, circling the depths like a great shark ready at the first drop of blood.

"If you even think of following me, I'll ruin you." Kaito released their clasped hands, throwing Kudou's grasping fingers off to keep temptation away. "Don't lie and call me a friend. Don't pretend I'm not every inch the criminal your murders are. I'll ruin your life. Every scrap you've gathered together from Conan. Every tie you've clung to since."

"I know you'll try," Kudou said, but he wasn't backing down. And Kaito needed one last weapon, one last betrayal that would burn even their most remote encounters into ashes.

"I know your chemist friend made one last poison," Kaito said, "I know where she put it, hoping it would be safe. There's no lock, no box, no system I can't get inside. So, I can get it. Do you know what it is?"

"No." And there was the horror Kaito wanted. He pounced on it.

"So she can never go back, that the temporary antidotes won't work, that there would be no way to reverse whatever change the potential cocktail of hormones in puberty could catalyze. She made one last poison. If you try to go after me, if you try to call me your friend and save me, I'll feed you the poison myself, Edogawa Conan."

Because Conan wasn't a death sentence, no matter how much Kudou would think otherwise. No matter what lies he had to tell and what he would have to do to scrape his life back together, Conan wasn't a death sentence.

Kaito had fallen in love with the heart he'd seen in Conan's eyes, after all. He'd rather be the villain and do what even the Black Org hadn't been able.

"I told you I'm the bad guy, Kudou. I always have been."


	14. Police procedure

Logically, there was little difference between one side of the table and the other. There was one door, opposite him, and the handcuffs fastened to the center of the table were closer to his side of the table than the other. And that was where the differences ended. Two chairs of similar design faced a table surrounded by three plain walls and one entrance/exit.

But Shinichi was more familiar with being on the other side of the table, not handcuffed and left to ruminate while the police scurried about, collecting evidence against him.

He could only be held for 48 hours under suspicion of a crime, he reminded himself. And once they realized that KID had impersonated him, purposefully left incriminating evidence to indict Shinichi, and staged the entire confession of guilt, once they realized those things, he would be free to go.

The door opened and a pair of officers entered the room. One of them stayed by the door while the other sank into the chair opposite him, setting out the most incriminating piece of evidence yet.

It was a screen shot from a traffic camera.

One that clearly showed a time stamp in the corner, and Shinichi and Ran walking together at the exact time that he had been caught in full KID regalia, holding the night's target and bragging about his success.

As soon as this was sorted out, he was going to go to jail for killing the Kaitou KID.

"You can see that it isn't looking good for you, KID," the officer said, tapping a finger on the picture. "We have proof that Kudou Shinichi was nowhere near tonight's heist.

"Obviously, that's the KID pretending to be me! You should do another test-"

"Your fingerprints register as those of Kurosaki Minato, a man currently serving a life-time sentence."

"There are fingerprint seals on my fingers! If you would take them off-"

"You must understand that we cannot permit any officer to come any closer than what I am currently. Your ability to mimic our officers and use magician tricks against us, they make it impossible to treat you as we would any other criminal, KID." The officer spread his hands and gestured to the officer standing guard at the door. "We cannot even question you one-on-one."

He was genuinely going to murder the Kaitou KID. Every fantasy he had about inconveniencing the thief could always be reworked into a unsolvable murder. He'd seen enough to know what not to do.

"I am asking you for the final time to cooperate with us, KID. You will be allowed to hear our evidence against you and to contact a lawyer in one hour. Please use this time to reflect."

The officer pushed away from the table, collecting the photograph and leading his partner out of the room.

Shinichi groaned and thumped his head against the table. The only lawyer he knew who would treat this seriously was Kisake Eri, and calling Ran's mother to explain the situation was not something he wanted to do.

Absently, he thought over the faces of the two officers that had been sent in to see "KID." He didn't recognize either of them from the task force, but that could have been intentional. The task force officers were a persistent and loyal bunch, but being in charge of being professional to the man who had made all of them, at one point in time or another, the victims of humiliating pranks, it would have been asking too much. Nakamori was likely being kept in another building entirely, the temptation at having the Kaitou KID captive too appealing to pass up.

Twenty minutes into the hour, another pair of officers entered the room, an older man and a young woman. The older man took station at the door, while his partner sat primly in the seat across from Shinichi. She folded her hands in her lap.

"Are you here to read the evidence against me?" Shinichi asked, pulling once on the handcuffs in irritation.

"No. I have a list of questions I would like you to answer for us, please," she said, the faintest hint of kansai-ben to her voice. Shinichi nodded, trying to use his thumb nail to scrape off the fingerprint seals that the KID had pasted on when he'd swapped their clothes. It wasn't working.

"What brought you to the Beika Museum?"

"KID's heist. I'm Kudou Shinichi, and I was trying to catch the KID."

The female officer hummed, placing a clipboard on the table and starting to transcribe his answer. Shinichi ignored the placating and disbelieving tone.

"What happened when you arrived?"

"I was checked by the task force before I was permitted to enter the museum," Shinichi said, keeping his eyes on the table as he tried to use the handcuffs to scrape the seals off instead. "KID planned to take the Dragon's Eye emerald at 8 o'clock. Nakamori-keibu and thirty officers in riot gear had the display location sealed off. I was checked again when I entered the room. Five minutes before eight, KID released a concentration of knock-out gas and colored smoke into the room. Five minutes after eight, he was running for the rooftop with myself and three officers from the task force in pursuit."

"At which point in time, KID switched your clothing, escaped to the streets of Beika to engage Mouri Ran in conversation, and left you with a recording that announced KID's successful theft," she finished, left hand moving quickly across the page.

Shinichi scowled at the reminder.

"He did," he maintained. "I am a victim of circumstance and KID's warped sense of humor."

"How familiar are you with the Kaitou KID?" she asked, pausing in her transcription to meet Shinichi's eyes. She had very pale eyes, nearly light green in the light of the interrogation room.

"I've been chasing him for-" and he stopped. Because Conan had been chasing the KID for years, but Shinichi had only been to three heists before this one, including the Ekoda clock tower. "For months. But I've read about his exploits in the papers for years."

"But it sounds as though you know KID better than that," she responded, eyes sharp over his faltering. "Well enough to understand KID beyond what is released in the papers."

"I'm a detective. I can read a little more into something written in the papers." And the fact that he was there for most if not every heist, albeit not in the shape anyone would ever guess, certainly helped.

She nodded and went right back to transcribing his answers, the scratch of her pen the loudest sound in the room. Apparently satisfied, she moved on to the next question.

"You said you've been chasing after the Kaitou KID for months, correct?" She didn't wait for his nod to continue on. "Upon investigating Kudou Shinichi, we've noticed that there's a three year gap where no one aside from your parents and a few family friends can produce any evidence at having met you in person. Curiously, this time line nearly aligns perfectly with the Kaitou KID's revival debut. Isn't that interesting?"

Shinichi looked up sharply, eyes narrowed as he considered this new information. His shinking had happened not too long after the Ekoda clock tower heist, and the few temporary cures he'd taken over the years had been sporadic. But to insinuate that he'd been pretending to be the KID...

"I became involved in an international attempt to expose a criminal syndicate," he said, staying close to the original story. "Because of safety concerns, I had to limit contact with those around me and minimize exposure."

"The criminal syndicate apprehended by the FBI?"

"Yes." He watched her scrawl her answers instead of trying to remove the seals. Her clipboard was angled so that he couldn't see the words on the page. She wrote by flicking her wrist, limiting what he could guess about the words based on her movements.

"The same criminal syndicate that had members arrested for the attempt assassination of the Kaitou KID? We have arrested several men after heists carrying sniper rifles who were then transferred into FBI custody."

"They were after the KID."

"And you." She tapped the blunt end of her pen to the clipboard. "You claim that they were after you, as well."

"They were!"

She didn't say anything, but he could read her assumption in the line of her shoulders and tilt of her lips.

"This isn't the first time this theory was suggested," she said. "Two years ago there was a terrorist attempt that took control of Suzuki Jirokichi's blimp. Officers from Division One were in pursuit of the aircraft when they were asked to divert and retrieve Kudou Shinichi and Edogawa Conan."

Shinichi really didn't like where this was leading.

"Of course, the officers discovered they had really been diverted to pick up the Kaitou KID, claiming at the time to be Kudou Shinichi. Now, doesn't it seem unlikely that Kaitou KID would masquerade as Kudou Shinichi just to return to the airship when there would have been plenty of other opportunities for a disguise? Especially when Edogawa Conan was known to be both an enemy to the KID and distant relative to Kudou Shinichi?"

Not when the true Kudou Shinichi had been the one to suggest the plan and grant permission to the stupid thief to disguise as him. Of course that lapse in judgment would come back to bite him.

"Witnesses reported that the Kaitou KID rescued Edogawa Conan, and hours later both the KID and Conan were back on the blimp. Edogawa Conan himself reported that he had no idea why Kaitou KID would pretend to be Kudou Shinichi, except that he knew his cousin had connections to the police."

"What are you asking?" Shinichi interrupted, cold sweat starting to bead on the back of his neck.

"Someone created false testimony. Either Edogawa Conan was lying when he said he didn't know why the KID would pretend to be Kudou Shinichi, or Edogawa Conan lied about the fact his cousin is an international jewel thief to take advantage of the ties Kudou Shinichi has with the police."

"This is all supposition and twisting the facts. I would have to have been-"

"Hakuba Saguru submitted a profile he created several years ago after collecting a possible DNA sample from a strand of hair suspected to be KID's. Height: 174 cm. Weight: 58 kg. Blood type: B. Age: 15-17, at the time. Vision: 20/20. IQ: 400. Skills: vocal mimicry, perfect disguises, magician tricks, pranks, and traps, can operate heavy machinery as well as a hang glider, planes, motorcycle, automobiles, and home-crafted rocket-powered toys. Possible vices: difficulty ice skating, boastful, excessive arrogance and pride, narcissistic-"

And Shinichi realized with horror that he fit within that profile. Shinichi, as he had been before the apotoxin and life as Conan, had been the perfect suspect for being the KID. Was obviously still a perfect match for who they believed the KID to be.

They had much more against him than he'd thought. KID's little trick was turning out to be far more dangerous than he'd thought.

"Well, you can see where all of this is headed." She smiled at him, slightly, a polite expression he'd expect to see on anyone delivering bad news. "You're in quite the situation, KID."

"I'm not KID," Shinichi said, "We might be the same blood type, but we're bound to have different DNA. You could try to match-"

"The DNA sample Hakuba-san collected is not sufficient enough for our department to base a full profile upon. The initial strand could only present a blood type and age group, as the DNA markers were not matched when sent through our database. All other supposition was gleaned through extensive interactions with the Kaitou KID."

"But I'm not-"

She sighed heavily, placing down her pen and flattening out the clipboard. His eyes were drawn to the motion and he froze as he realized what he'd assumed to be a transcription was actually a blank page, now no longer blank and sporting a familiar note complete with doodle and signature.

"You're-!"

"Finally, he gets it. Honestly, tantei-kun, how hard could you have been thinking to have missed all of the clues I'd laid out for you?" The female voice was gone, leaving only the mocking and reproachful tone of the Kaitou KID. "This uniform is far too short and exposed for regulations." He gestured to the mini skirt and blouse open to show the creamy swells of cleavage. "My partner is obviously far too old to still be a junior officer." He pointed at the man at the door who, while in shape, was far too elderly to be mistaken for any new hire. "And I have asked you a series of questions about Kudou Shinichi that no one in the entirety of Japan's police force was clever enough to put together."

Shinichi's mind went blank with rage. He lunged over the table at the thief.

Well, he tried.

He was caught by the handcuffs around his wrists. KID's eyes had widened, but he hadn't moved away. Instead, he'd leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and exposing even more of his cleavage.

"So angry~ It can't have been that bad," KID purred, lips curling. "You've only been here a few hours."

"I'm going to end up right back here soon," Shinichi growled. "Because I'm going to kill you in a way that no one will ever forget."

"That's not a funny joke, tantei-kun."

"Am I laughing, KID?"

"Don't worry about anything. I cut the feed to this room when I entered. And I staged a bit of a show before then. You're free of suspicion since KID was seen prancing through the city, having recovered his costume and the Dragon's Eye. The only reason you haven't left yet is because I've gassed the department." KID grinned, wide and fearsome. "Once they come to, they'll let you free."

"The very first thing I'm going to do, when I see you again-"

KID leaned across the space between them and kissed him, smothering his rage under a passionate kiss. Shinichi's eyes were wide open, staring at the thief's own closed eyes. KID's lips were soft, pressure that was firm without being forceful, and a wet swipe over his closed mouth could only be KID's tongue trying to slip inside.

He squeaked, a humiliating and high sound, and then KID's tongue was in his mouth. It didn't occur to him to bite it until KID was pulling away, sucking on Shinichi's bottom lip before sitting back on his side of the table.

"That's the very first thing I'm going to do when I see you again, tantei-kun," KID pressed his fingers to his mouth, the entire female disguise suddenly more obvious and eye-catching than before, because KID had lipstick on and Shinichi could taste it. He'd gotten used to seeing KID's face under his disguises, but now he could only picture the thief's lips painted red and wrapped around –

"KID!"

"Catch you later," KID said, winking at him and then standing. He ran suggestive hands down the front of his uniform, readjusting the fake cleavage and tugging on the incredibly short hemline of his skirt. Shinichi's eyes followed his movements without input from his higher brain.

He collapsed in the chair, lightheaded at how quickly his blood had rushed south with that kiss.


	15. Bookstore

"Shinsui! Shinsui, come!" Shinichi shouted down the dark alleyway, hoping that at any time the okuri-inu would peel out of the shadows and attach itself to him again. Instead, he could only hear the quiet grumble and soft scratching that meant his demon was ignoring him.

And Shinsui would eat its fellow pedestrians if it got in the mood.

It was hard to see the okuri-inu against the deep shadows. It was snuffling at something, nose buried in a trash bin and whining obnoxiously. Shinichi gave up standing on the sidewalk and calling. He was going to have to drag the demon out. He took a step into the alley when Shinsui lifted his head like it'd finally heard Shinichi's irritation, and before Shinichi could stop it, the demon was running past him and down the street.

Shinichi didn't have to think before following after it. An okuri-inu untethered and wandering the streets, not too far away from downtown Tokyo, was only going to lead to homicide cases. He had trouble following, despite the fact that pedestrians would scatter from the demon's presence even if they didn't know why they were moving away.

He couldn't yell for the demon. He didn't want to take a chance that it would be distracted from its pursuit and attach itself to someone on the sidewalk. He'd tricked the demon into becoming his companion, but he wouldn't be able to do that a second time. Shinsui wasn't the craftiest demon, but it was clever enough to see through a trick it knew about.

The demon slowed outside a bookstore, settling in to wait for Shinichi to cross the road and join him at the door. _The Crystal Stopper_ wasn't a store he could ever remember seeing before, but his memory also wasn't the best for the mundane. He'd remembered if he'd ever solved a murder there, but everywhere else was glossed over into a smudged backdrop. Shinsui scratched at the door plaintively, whining when Shinichi stood at its side and caught his breath.

"What are you doing?" Shinichi muttered, snagging the demon's ruff and shaking his lightly. The demon squirmed under his hand, fur dissolving into wisps until Shinichi lightened his hold. Shinsui reared back on its hind legs and fell heavily into the door, trying to catch its paws on the handle. Shinichi groaned and stepped into him, the demon dissolving and reappearing behind him.

He opened the door, a bell chiming overhead, and Shinsui was slipping around him into the store. Shinichi followed after it, eyebrows rising as he got his first good look into the store. There were several customers idling in the aisles, glancing up and then dismissing him as they went through the shelves.

Shinsui ran straight for the counter at the very back of the store, dissolving around the counter and out of sight. Shinichi didn't hesitate to chase after it, dodging around book displays and browsing customers, panic making his steps long and fast, because Shinsui was going to eat someone unless he stopped the stupid monster.

"Well, aren't you a cutie?"

Shinichi stopped halfway over the counter when he realized there were stairs leading down through the floor on the other side. There was a panel shoved to the side, exposing the dimly lit stairwell that ended in foreboding darkness. The voice he heard drifted up, and he couldn't see Shinsui anywhere.

"How'd you get all the way out here? I haven't seen one of you..." The voice trailed away, but there wasn't any screaming yet. He still had time.

No one paid him any mind as he climbed down the stairs, the darkness abruptly drawing away as he landed on the bottom step. He blinked to chase away the disorientation and found himself in a replica of the store above, the same patrons browsing the aisles and suddenly paying him more attention than before.

That was the moment when he noticed that they weren't the same patrons. They had the same clothes, the same accessories, the same expressions, but they weren't human. A bird-like man was browsing the best-seller titles. A woman with no face was flipping through a book of landscape photographs. The others had abnormally shaded skin, greens and blues and reds and yellows he'd never seen on anything humanoid, and horns growing out of their hair.

Shinsui was laying on its back, paws flapping in the air as a stranger scratched its belly and made cooing noises. The stranger was the most human-looking in the store, no strange skin-tone or horns, but there were three white tails and a pair of white ears attached to the stranger that suggested they were not clip-on accessories.

The stranger looked up, meeting Shinichi's eyes and widening his eyes. Shinsui rolled upright, trotting back to Shinichi and rubbing at his legs. Shinichi dropped his hand to the top of the demon's head, scratching at its ears.

"Oh. Is he yours? I haven't seen one of them bind themselves to a human before," the stranger said, springing upright and walking over. His tails swirled in the air behind him.

"It's my responsibility," Shinichi said, eyes narrowing on the tall, furry ears that arched through the stranger's hair. They were perked forward, the left ear twitching when the bell rang and one of the customers left the shop.

"You came in the other door." The stranger snapped his fingers. "That's what's different."

Shinichi glanced past the stranger, eyebrows arching up in surprise when he noticed that the door opened out onto the street, no stairs leading up, no sloped entrance, just right back out to the very street he'd left.

"What's going on?" Shinichi asked, taking a step back and trying to find the grip between too much and too little that would have Shinsui following him.

"Nothing's going on," the stranger said, lips curving down into a frown. His eyes scanned over Shinichi and Shinsui, lingering on the demon. He brightened immediately, offering his hand. "I'm Kuroba Kaito, owner of _The Crystal Stopper_. Welcome!"

"Kudou Shinichi," Shinichi replied, because it was only fair to introduce himself. He looked at the hand carefully before he shook it.

Nothing happened.

"Is this your first time stepping through?" Kuroba asked. He dropped down to kneel in front of Shinsui, bringing his hands up to hold the demon's face. Shinichi expected Shinsui to snap, draw back its lips and expose its fangs at the least.

Instead, the demon sighed and nearly went limp in Kuroba's hands.

"How did you do that?" Shinichi asked, because he'd tried everything, but no one would have believed him if he tried to explain he needed a way to pacify a demon dog.

"Sending off dogs are easy to please. They just want a little love and attention. It also helps to meet their eyes and be polite when greeting them." Kuroba leaned forward and pressed a kiss on the demon's muzzle, smacking his lips loudly for effect. "They turn into such sweethearts."

Shinichi had seen Shinsui bite through a man's tendons when he'd tried to evade arrest. Sweetheart wasn't the term he'd use.

"Anyway, you never answered, but I guess I can assume this is your first time stepping through." Kuroba sprung back to his feet, a bounce that sent his tails flailing wildly. Shinichi stared.

"What are you?"

Kuroba's eyebrows jumped, mouth falling open in shock and then he was stepping in close, hissing between his fixed smile. "Very, very rude question. Kudou-kun, you never, ever ask anyone outright. Depending on who you're asking, you could be forced into their service or eaten. Since this is your first time through, I'll let it go. But you've been warned."

"Kuroba-san, I'm ready to check out." The faceless woman approached them, a small stack of photography books in the cradle of her arm. Her chin tilted downwards, and Shinichi assumed she was looking at Shinsui. "Hello. Nice to meet you."

Shinsui barked.

"Right this way, Fujioka-san," Kuroba said, sweeping his arm towards the register and patting Shinichi on the shoulder. "Wait right here, Kudou-kun."

Shinichi hadn't planned on going anywhere, but Shinsui started prowling down the aisles and he felt duty-bound to monitor the demon. He scanned the store as he did, still unsure how he'd walked down and ended up at street-level. The darkness in the stairs couldn't have disguised the fact that they went straight down with no weird turns. The view through the storefront was the same view from before.

The customers seemed content to ignore Shinichi entirely, now that Shinsui was approaching them with placid steps and a sweet disposition. Several customers scratched the demon's ears, patted its back, and one customer, a male humanoid with green skin, dark hair and horns curled like a ram's, pulled out a treat for the demon.

Shinichi trailed the demon, running his fingers over the spines of books. There was a blend of new and used books, modern and classic, every genre he'd ever heard about, and a plethora of books he had never heard of. A few of the books warmed under his touch, shifted their letters about, or shuddered and rustled their pages, which only unsettled him even more until he caught sight of some more familiar titles. Shinsui waited patiently as he pulled down _The Sign of Four_ and flipped it open.

The type-faced words blurred together and he was staring into a moving image of Sherlock Holmes, his thoughts forming and disappearing across the top of the page. The image dissolved again, becoming standard type-face words. He watched it cycle through the process, Sherlock's face exactly how he'd always pictured it to be, one not like any of the actors who's portrayed him or the figure that graced the dust jackets.

"I bet you've never seen one of these before," Kuroba said, reading over his shoulder. Shinichi twitched in surprise at the unexpected voice. "Watch the book, now."

The image of Sherlock twisted, features becoming more angular than before, even the nose sharpening and lengthening.

"It's because I'm reading the book over you shoulder. My image of Sherlock Holmes and yours blends together because we're both viewing the page. It's an illusion technique embedded in the ink. It reacts to conscious visual stimuli." Kuroba reached around him and touched one of the placards on the shelves. "This symbol here. Any of my shelves marked with that are illusion-type books."

"You sell magic books here?" Shinichi returned the book, stepping away from Kuroba as he did.

"I sell all books here. Biggest collection outside of Jinbouchou. The neighborhood, not a particular shop, by the way," Kuroba bragged, straightening up and spreading his arms. "I have anything and everything, and a few things that are neither real or material."

Shinichi looked around the store, estimating the size of the building and how it was possible for that statement to be true. Kuroba caught him staring.

"This is just the first floor, as it were, and not even the full length." Kuroba grabbed his arm and pulled Shinichi towards the back of the store. Shinsui obediently heeled him, content to follow them instead of running off on its own. Kuroba turned left before the reached the counter, walking between two aisles and straight for the middle section, one filled with shelves. Shinichi was about to dig in his heels, but Kuroba gave an impatient tug and they were bypassing the sections on either side.

"That's not magic, just a vision trick." Shinichi craned his neck around to see the space they had passed through, the towering sides and plain flooring giving the illusion of reduced depth, as if there was a solid wall lined with shelves instead of a doorway between two shelves.

"Oh, it's a magic trick. Just not traditional magic. I'm a big fan of modern, human magicians. I'd planned to be one when I was younger, but..." Kuroba trailed away, still holding Shinichi's wrist in his hand and guiding him through a maze of shelves. The lighting flickered in corners of the room, dimming and brightening in what reminded him eerily of a pulse.

"So you opened a magic book store instead." Shinichi didn't even mind the guiding hand, knowing he'd be lost in the labyrinth of aisles if left on his own.

"Inherited. My father owned the store before me." And there was something falsely prideful in Kuroba's tone, enough that Shinichi could guess it wasn't because his father wanted to enjoy retirement. Kuroba looked Shinichi's age, if not a year older. "You know, I never actually asked, but what brought you to my store, Kudou-kun?"

"Shinsui smelled something in an alleyway and followed the scent here."

"Is that so?" Kuroba released him, dropping back down to Shinsui's level and offering his hand. The demon came forward immediately, resting its chin in Kuroba's palm.

Shinichi shifted uncomfortably as Kuroba and the demon stared at each other. The lights in the room flared bright, nearly blinding compared to the dim flickering, and Kuroba's face was blank and neutral. He rose on his heels without the bouncy spring from earlier and turned calculating eyes on Shinichi. His tails stirred languidly and his ears slanted forwards, melting the easy going atmosphere into something oppressive.

"You know, I never got the story about how you and Shinsui here became bound together," Kuroba said, a small orb of light popping into existence at the tip of his middle tail.

"I couldn't leave him out in the forest, not after what he'd done for me." Because Shinsui had saved his life when it'd lunged at the suspect trying to kill him, when Shinichi was sure the demon had been drawn to him and attached to his shadow first. It had been a moment of mercy, because Shinichi had stumbled before the suspect was on him, and he'd read about how quickly okuri-inu would strike down their prey.

And he'd offered the demon a chance to take him at the end. If Shinsui would follow him for now, it could give him a final sending off. Then the demon had simply waited for Shinichi to catch his breath and gather himself together from where he was sprawled on the ground beside the bloodied legs of his suspect.

Kuroba's eyes softened and eight balls of light popped into existence around him, hovering in the air around his head like a halo. He reached up and plucked one down, white light spilling around his fingers and dripping down his palm.

Shinsui barked rapidly, two sharp sounds that sent his ears ringing. It pressed into Shinichi's legs, tongue lolling out and tail wagging. Shinichi placed a hand over the demon's head, its fur more substantial than he'd ever felt it before, like running his fingers through crisp fall leaves.

"I have a case for you, Kudou-kun," Kuroba said, and Shinichi realized he never said what he did for work. Kuroba offered his handful of light. "And a gift to help you solve it."

Shinichi hesitated before opening the palm of his free hand. Kuroba's closed fingers pushed into the skin of Shinichi's palm and then they were drawing away, leaving behind something warm and thundering and spilling over his palm until he closed his hand around it. The white light buzzed, vibrating against his fingers, and the light became fainter and fainter.

Shinichi brought his eyes up from his hand and they widened in shock. Kuroba no longer looked totally human, the faintest changes in his jaw and forehead adding canine lines to his face, the suggestion that his mouth could easily twist into a muzzle. He could still see three tails at his waist, but five more of pure white light floated in the air around them, impossibly long and detailed.

Shinsui became even fainter, a living and breathing dog-like shadow that only showed glittering eyes and gleaming white teeth serrated and fit in rows like a shark's mouth.

A single twisting beam of light curled around his own shoulders, one end wrapped around his waist and the other reaching out to pull at its brothers.

"What did you do?"

"A temporary gift," Kuroba said, fingers wiggling and teasing the light wrapped around Shinichi. "I know you're new to stepping through, but Shinsui promises you're intelligent. And I have high hopes for you, once you've gotten your feet. When you do, come back to see me and I'll give you a case no one has ever been able to solve."


	16. Saving the World

This is a bit of a crossover with Shield mentioned, as well as the Sorcerer Supreme and Clea from Marvel. There is no actual appearance from any character from the Marvel universe.

* * *

><p>"Patience is a virtue," Kudou said over the headset. Kaito parroted the words in silence, back-flipping his way down the long expanse of the roof, landing on the edge and throwing a handful of smoke bombs back the way he'd came. The men chasing after him and firing wildly in his direction sputtered and cursed out loud, Kaito taking the chance to draw out his card gun and snipe their hands.<p>

The painful screams meant he'd been successful, but he couldn't wait any longer. The helicopter that Kudou was supposed to be gaining control of turned its side-mounted guns on him and opened fire.

"Do you really hate me that much, Kudou?" Kaito asked, running as fast as he could on the ledge of the building and jumping off. He angled his body to a fast descent, fingers lingering on the button to activate his glider. The helicopter, far more maneuverable than Kaito would be in the air, swung around and fired on him again.

"Just fall already!" Kudou snarled, and the bullets stopped. Kaito drew out his card gun, fitting the accessory pieces over the muzzle and snapping the hook in place. He opened his glider before he could end up on the pavement, the frame straining angrily under the harsh treatment. He'd have a bruise around his waist, he knew he would.

A man was sent falling out of the side of the helicopter, landing with a thud on the roof with the rest of the dispatch team sent out to deal with Kid. Kaito leveled out his card gun, a grappling hook modified to fit over the barrel, and aimed for the legs of the helicopter.

"Would you hurry up, already?" Kudou snapped, holding the helicopter steady for Kaito to aim.

"You're such a hypocrite. Don't touch that, Kid. You'll alert their response teams if you open that vault, Kid. Don't wait for any kind of rational plan, Kid, just go along with whatever hare-brained scheme I throw together on the fly," Kaito bitched, hooking the leg of the helicopter on his first try. The glider jerked now that he had a tether and wasn't just letting it ride the currents. Kudou took off, pulling Kid and glider towards the direction of the bridge.

"My schemes are hare-brained? If you had just trusted me with the coordinates when you discovered them-"

"I'd have a dead agent on my hands, Kudou, and you know it." Kaito used one hand to guide the glider and the other to grip his tow line. Kudou obviously knew how to fly the damn thing, so at least there was that. "Or would you rather have had some lovely holes in your head? Though given your plans, it's not like there's anything there to begin with."

"One more word, Kid, and I'll cut you free. Save the world all by yourself, asshole," Kudou spat back.

Kaito sighed.

The bomb they needed to disarm wasn't nuclear, wasn't an IED, wasn't even technically a bomb. But multi-dimensional rift activation portal dispersal unit didn't roll off the tongue as neatly. It would function the same as any timed bomb, but instead of a specific time of detonation, once properly calibrated, it would tear a rift in space-time that would either open the gate to a higher realm or collapse all matter and energy in its attempt to power itself for the rift.

The only reason Kid was sent to deal with it was because the efforts of the Sorcerer Supreme and Clea were the only reasons the other side of the rift hadn't already spilled into their world. Their priority was to prevent the multi-dimensional overload that came from having a tunnel attempting to form between this plane of existence and those higher. Kaitou Kid, being third in line for most powerful magician and Sorcerer Supreme, was regulated to what was essentially grunt work.

Which in this case would be to team up with some mundanes and prevent the catalyst from toppling the efforts of his teachers.

Grunt work.

"It's not like I haven't done it before." Kaito judged the distance to the bridge, and even with the helicopter, they were going to be cutting it close. "Kudou, you need to go faster."

"I go any faster and I'll pull your arm out of socket. Unless there's a record you're trying to set. Skills: can save the world with one arm tied behind your back." But Kudou was speeding up, so that was something.

"Ever tried to disarm a bomb with only one hand?" Kaito asked.

"Aren't you usually the one setting bombs?"

"You hang around the Supreme, you learn all sorts of nifty tricks. Including this one." Kaito let go of the glider handle and extended his hand.

His magic was more flash than substance when he was in pain and running on three days with little food, no sleep, too much coffee, and buckets of adrenaline. But he still had enough do this.

Threads of blue light arched from his hand, speeding ahead of them and coiling like snakes around the bomb. Once he was sure he had a strong hold on it, he tugged his hand and willed the distance between the bomb and himself to disappear.

Kudou yelped as they were pulled through space, the world flickering madly, like a million dying and birthing stars all rising and falling at once in a sea of black, purple, and green. Reality reasserted itself and they were hovering over the bomb, Kudou's quick reflexes halting their forward motion to hover in place.

Kaito dropped his gun and collapsed the glider, letting his body fall towards the bomb and using his magic threads to pull himself down and level with the bomb.

It didn't look like a complex machine. It was deceptively simple, a silver frame twisted in an infinity loop, the base flared into a six-pointed pedestal and gleaming with buttons, panels, colored wires, and one hasty strip of duct tape.

Shoddy workmanship at its finest, to be sure, which was obviously why Shield had underestimated the initial threat and sent a team of junior agents to infiltrate and gather information. It hadn't been until the Sorcerer Supreme sent him a message that even brought the problem to Kaito's attention, after three agents had been compromised. Kaito had arrived on scene to help Kudou lead off their attackers and hope that Hakuba and Hattori could manage the rest.

He sent his threads through every inch of the machine, a blue-tint shading his sight as his magic scanned the bomb and filtered information back to him. He would have to trust Kudou to watch his back because he'd need all of his attention to turn the damn thing off.

"Anything yet, Kid?" Kudou asked.

Kaito refrained from answering, his magic touching the singularity within the portal's upper loop and the other realm reached back. Then, he had no words. For anything.

Timeless and infinite, he saw all futures and all worlds. The Supreme and Clea, unified in ritual against the destruction of all things, brushed past his consciousness. Their magic flared like a beacon, welcoming him and offering the key to the other realm, to the higher planes where death and life were meaningless because all things simply were. He nearly reached for it.

If someone hadn't shaken his shoulders, he might have invited something through by accident.

Kaito gasped as he came back, magic fading to wispy strands of white light. Kudou was shaking him, hands on his shoulders and glaring at the bomb.

"I asked if you could stop it!" Kudou shouted, punctuating with a rough shake of Kaito's shoulders.

Kaito nodded, words still heavy on his tongue and somewhat embarrassed his teachers had felt his wavering touch and temptation. Kudou might have just saved the world.

"So? What's the plan?" Kudou asked, and he didn't move his hands from Kaito's shoulders.

"I can turn it on itself. I'll resolve it into a portal within itself and it'll collapse out of existence." Kaito spread his hands so they were on either side of the bomb. His magic gradated back into blue light, threads running back to his fingertips.

Kudou's fingers were vice-tight on his shoulders as the magic flared around the device. Instead of feeling unease, he relaxed into the hold and the reminder of how Kudou had pulled him back earlier.

Resolving the bomb to collapse on itself wasn't easy with the tunnel already stretching to the higher realms. He could feel the pathway with his magic, careful to keep at a distance around it instead of connecting to it. Even with Kudou watching over him, he doubted he would have the willpower to pull away from temptation again.

"Kid!"

Kaito didn't answer, building a barrier between the tunnel and the higher realms and herding the tunnel backwards. There was a conscious energy to the tunnel, to the magic that its creator had tapped into and given reign, but it wasn't intelligent consciousness. Its sole purpose was to move in whatever direction it was pointed, and he was already turning it back towards itself. It gave up its gained space, the universe around him and Kudou rippling with the same other lights as it did when he pulled them through space with his magic earlier.

"Kid! What are you doing?!" Kudou was pressed against his back, hands dropping down to Kaito's elbows. Kaito could only imagine how it looked outside of his blue-tinted vision.

The tunnel was writhing in the middle of his magic, trying to find new pathways to explore while steadily moving back towards its starting point. Kaito gritted his teeth as flashes of the higher realm, of that omniscient presence, butted against his own fragile consciousness. The world prismed into a rainbow of color, stripes of space in inky black and glittering stars fluttering ribbons on the edge of each color band.

The tunnel reached its starting point and started racing itself through the infinity loop that formed the machine. The singularity in the upper loop brightened and rippled, filling the loop with a star-burst of white light.

He just needed to collapse it.

Kaito tried to bring his hands together, to push his palms and everything between them into a singular space. He made it halfway through when he felt resistance. He was at a stalemate.

"Kudou! Help me!" Kaito shouted, arms shaking from the strain of holding a multi-dimensional tunnel within the boundaries of its own being.

"How?" Kudou was as close as he could get, Kaito's shoulders back against Kudou's collarbone and all the way down. Kaito would normally be faintly embarrassed to notice the complete lack of space between his ass and Kudou's crotch, but it really wasn't the time for that.

"Put your hands on mine and concentrate on bringing my hands together."

Kudou's hands were as big as Kaito's own, only a little thicker than Kaito's own narrow digits. Kaito could feel the pressure Kudou was exerting, the additional force slowly moving inwards.

His magic flared again, turning a deeper shade of blue and spreading down their joined hands and backwards. Kudou gasped when it enveloped them completely, and the world tilted.

Kaito and Kudou were knelt together, a star cradled in the space between their outstretched palms. It burst into a thousand smaller shards of light and swirled in a spiral shape as they moved their hands. The swirling slowed as the space decreased and then vanished entirely as Kaito's palms came together and the world abruptly righted itself.

Kaito nearly collapsed forwards on the now impotent bomb, the energy drained out of it and leaving it little more than a cheap statute. Kudou's hands caught him about the waist and pulled him back, Kaito's head flopping back onto Kudou's shoulder. He was so tired he was shaking.

"Is that it? Everything's done?"

"You're welcome," Kaito huffed, trying to decide if he had enough magic left to get himself upright. He tried, but the magic died out in a fizzle of sparks in his clasped hands.

"That was..." Kudou trailed away, arms wrapping more firmly around Kaito's waist.

He realized with a jolt he was sitting in Kudou's lap, draped over the junior agent like a regency damsel. Apparently, he still had enough energy to blush.

"Amazing," Kudou finished, turning his head to meet Kaito's eyes. He seemed totally oblivious to their intimate position and Kaito's flushed face.

"I am the Kaitou Kid," he said, grasping for anything that made sense. "I'm always amazing."

All the wonder melted off Kudou's face, an irritated scowl twisting his features, which didn't make him any less attractive, Kaito noticed in dismay. Kudou brought them both to their feet, Kaito stumbling in exhaustion and leaning heavily against Kudou.

Kudou drew an arm away, smirking when Kaito made a distressed noise as the change in position nearly sent him back to the ground.

"Can you walk?" Kudou asked, watching Kaito sway in place and struggle to stay in place.

"Yes," Kaito whined.

The world tilted, making him dizzy and blinking away double-vision. He heard Kudou snort and he was swept off his feet, hat and monocle falling into his lap and Kudou's arms under his knees and across his back.

"I'm going to move you to a safe distance and set up a perimeter. The easy part is over," Kudou said, carry Kaito towards the bridge railing and away from the stupid not-bomb.

It was easier then to stew silently and not say anything. Or to admit that he noticed how heroic Kudou looked, sweat and exhaustion and some dried blood at his temple.


	17. Living together

There was a pile of dishes in the sink and even more spread out over the counter. Kaito opened the dish washer and scowled at the dirty dishes.

"Conan! I was only gone for three days! What the hell?" Kaito slammed the dish washer closed, stalking deeper into the house.

"Kid?"

Conan was on the couch, a pile of case files on the table and the space between the files filled with dirty coffee cups. The carpet hadn't been vacuumed, the spilled glitter from one of his traps still in the fibers, and there were towels draped over the backs of the dining room chairs.

"Three days. I have been gone three days and you turned my house into... this!" Kaito gestured to the entirety of the mess, eyes narrowing as Conan looked around himself and blinked in surprise.

"It wasn't that bad..."

"Have you had anything to eat? All of the dishes are dirty, but I can't assume much with you," Kaito said, starting to tidy up the files into neat piles and staking the coffee cups.

Conan dropped the case file in his hand, frowning at Kaito's grumbling. "I'm sorry. Hattori sent me a bunch of cold cases and then Hakuba dropped off some of your international heist files and well-"

"You've been ordering in takeout?" Kaito snapped, having uncovered a pile of takeout cartons under several files. "Too much trouble to clean up after yourself?"

"I'm sorry!" Conan shouted, face starting to turn red in embarrassment.

Kaito snorted.

"Sorry I'm home a day early, I bet." He abandoned the case files and carried the coffee cups into the kitchen. The coffee cups were aligned at the end of the counter. He added soap to the dishwasher and started it, piling the dishes beside the sink and filling it with water. He submerged what he could and let them soak.

Conan trotted into the kitchen, arms full of empty takeout boxes, and he dumped them in the trash bin.

"What happened?" Kaito asked, back turned and hands busy washing up. He was upset more than he was angry. He expected better.

"I'm sorry," Conan repeated, coming up to the counter beside him. His head was at Kaito's shoulders, and instead of helping him, he stared at Kaito.

"So you've said." Kaito stopped and stared at the wall behind the sink. "You know, when you explained the benefits of living together, I thought I already knew all your faults. I could live with the daily trips to the police. I could deal with the publicity. I could even live with the absolute madhouse of law enforcement and upstanding citizens who follow you home and overprotect you. But this-"

"The kids came over and, like I said, Hattori and Hakuba dropped things off for me. I got wrapped up and distracted because it was easier than thinking about how empty the house was."

Kaito groaned.

"You can't act cute like that and get out of trouble," he scolded, turning to wag a finger in Conan's face. Conan's face twisted in unhappiness and scorn.

"Don't call me cute, Kid."

"But that's what you are!" Kaito reachd out before he could get away and dragged his wet, soapy hand over Conan's head, making the boy cry out in shock.

"Hey!"

"You've got a little tiara, Conan-chan," Kaito teased, sculpting the soap into a crown on his head.

Conan kicked his shin, hard and fast right where he temporarily lost feeling in his leg. He stumbled to the side and brought up his other hand. Kaito cupped his palm, dropping it into the water and swiping a spray over the edge of the sink and down Conan's front.

"Asshole!"

"Language, young man!"

Conan slapped his hands in the soapy water, splattering both of them. Kaito turned a faucet on and gripped the mouth in one hand, angling his fingers so the spray would surge out over Conan. Conan shielded his face with his hands, sputtering curses at Kaito but not moving out of range. Kaito let up after he was sure there wasn't a dry spot left and Conan's hair was curling at the ends.

"I might be willing to forgive you if you deal with the living room and dining room. I can finish the dishes. Then we'll have some of the treats I brought back from Italy and you can promise to never, ever leave my house in chaos again."

Conan glared at him, the entire effect ruined by his sodden clothes and wet hair. There were flecks of water on his oversized glasses that dripped off the edges and into a puddle at Conan's feet.

"No one would ever believe how meticulous you are. Like a damn cat," Conan muttered, tugging at his wet shirt and leaving a trail of water behind as he headed for the bathroom.

"Be grateful I'm not telling Ran-chan about this incident! You know she'd be disappointed in her darling little brother!"

"Go to hell, Kid!"


	18. Lawyers

This is more of a fusion-fic than a crossover. Ace Attorney x Magic Kaito x Detective Conan. I recommend watching the Ace attorney live action movie if you get the chance. It's spectacular.

* * *

><p>There was always a large crowd for the famous Hakuba-Kid courtroom battles. Shinichi, even using his weight as lead detective could barely get through the doors of the courthouse, let alone actually into the courtroom to see the trial. Every seat was packed, and the wall was lined with eager spectators crowding each other out of the way to get a better view.<p>

Shinichi was lucky there was always a gap between the lead fraud detective and his task force. Nakamori and the task force were officers he rarely had to see, and Shinichi was thankful for that. The man was driven and the best man Shinichi knew for rooting out deception, but he was also impossibly loud and abrasive. Anyone who ever interacted with the man knew better than to try and bother him in a volatile situation, which this had all the earmarks for being.

"Kudou-keibu! I have a seat for you here!" Takahashi, Nakamori's right hand man, gestured over to him, pointing at the seat situated closest to the defense's desk. The gallery seating just behind Kaito's desk was crowded with Kid fans, wearing monocles and top hats and one enterprising fan actually decked out fully with a flowing cape. Every one had 'heart KID' headbands with Kid's doodle.

Shinichi settled in the chair, nodding his thanks to Takahashi. "What's the atmosphere been like?"

"Not good." Takahashi glanced meaningfully over at Nakamori. "One of the journalists outside questioned Nakamori-keibu's credibility concerning the supposed theft of the evidence."

Shinichi winced.

"We're nearly ready to start," Takahashi said, shifting nervously in his seat.

Shinichi scanned the room, noting Megure at the judge's seat and his grim, blank face. Hakuba was seated primly at the prosecution's bench, a pocket watch in hand. Kaito's side of the courtroom appeared chaotic and haphazard, the defense's bench piled high with paperwork and files. Kaito was in full Kid regalia, but without any of the Kid charm. Instead, he was in deep conversation with Akako, who was also in full witch regalia, the cobra heads on her shoulders and forehead piece glittering.

The door to Shinichi's right opened and Haibara was escorted inside and to the accused's bench. She held her head up proudly, eyes widening as she caught sight of Shinichi and her relief broke through briefly.

"And now, the Case of Miyano Akemi – Day 3. This court is now in session."

"The defense is ready, your honor," Kaito said, rolling to his feet and sweeping a bow towards the judge's seat.

"The prosecution is ready, your honor," Hakuba echoed, on his feet and giving a perfect bow. "I believe that with Kudou-keibu's presence in our audience it means that his men were successful in finding Wokka Kaspar." Hakuba noted, eyes riveted on Shinichi.

Shinichi didn't acknowledge him, having eyes only for Kaito, who'd looked up in surprise and relief. Shinichi nodded.

"Then yesterday's theory can be verified to the court," Megure said, gesturing to the court officers to escort in their witness.

The first officer brought in the bird cage that Wokka had been trying to flee with, the angriest cockatoo Shinichi ever had the displeasure of encountering within the cage and making menacing noises. Two men flanked Wokka, leading him down to the witnesses stand.

The audience started to titter in excitement, several individuals leaping out of their seats to get a better look. Wokka's face was set in a stubborn expression, staring at Haibara in barely contained rage. Shinichi tensed in his seat, ready to defend her if Wokka tried anything threatening.

"The court will now hear testimony from Wokka Kaspar," Megure said.

Wokka shook off his attendees, holding onto the witness stand with one hand. "I wasn't trying to evade the police. I needed food for Gin."

"And Gin would be the name of..." Kaito said leadingly, his palms on the defense bench. Akako shifted at his side, hands folded neatly in her lap.

"Gin is my cockatoo," Wokka gestured back to the bird cage, the bird inside shrieking a curse word.

Kaito came around the bench, cape swirling at his heels. Sometimes, Shinichi really questioned Kaito's choice to dress as a stage performer, but he supposed Kaito fit in well with all the theatrics that went with the bench trial system. He certainly drew every eye and the public adored him.

"Witness, we should start with your acknowledgment of your alias, Vodka." Kaito stopped in the center of the room, hands in his pockets and shoulders relaxed.

"Objection. It was established yesterday that Wokka Kaspar has no alternative identities or connections to the so-called Black Organization." Hakuba remained seated, a bored note to his voice, but a fierce glint to his eyes.

"The Black Organization was the criminal syndicate apprehended by the American Federal Bureau of Investigation, correct?" Megure asked.

"The very same." Kaito glanced over his shoulder at the judge, the charm on his monocle swinging. "Witness, you murdered Miyano Akemi and tried to place the blame on her sister, Miyano Shiho."

"Where is your evidence?" Hakuba asked, pushing off the bench and to his feet. Kaito shifted so his back was to the prosecutor. "This is a court, Kid, not the streets of Tokyo. Where is your evidence for any of your accusations?"

"The aliases of the two men who escaped justice were Gin and Vodka. And Wokka Kaspar's cockatoo was named after his partner and associate." Kaito met the blank face of their witness with a toothy grin. He gestured to the cockatoo, who continued to mutter curse words as it paced its stand in the cage.

"Objection. That is merely a coincidence. He may very well have named that bird after his favorite drink. Is that all?" Hakuba's voice was almost mocking, too professional to gloat even if his face showed how clearly he wanted to.

"I agree. Kid-san, please provide something less circumstantial," Megure agreed.

Kaito's grin faded.

"Fingerprints," Akako hissed.

Shinichi's lips tightened and Haibara's expression fell even further. The Black Organization didn't have fingerprints, but there wasn't a way to tell Kaito that, now.

"I request that the witness provide a fingerprint sample," Kaito snapped, head swinging back to Akako and fixing a smirk on his face.

"That won't be possible," Wokka said, leaning on the stand. He opened one hand and wiggled his fingers meaningfully. "During my inspection of a chemical plant, I was involved in an accident and my fingerprints were burned away."

"There is a hospital record detailing the injuries and treatment," Hakuba interrupted, tapping one of his files meaningfully. "My evidence." He gestured and the holographic screens popped up around the room, displaying the medical file and pertinent data.

Kaito's smirk never faltered, but his shoulders drew up even tighter. Akako started flipping through her own files.

"Your theory is difficult to prove without fingerprint evidence," Megure said, studying the information on the screen. It faded out of existence as he turned towards Kaito. "Is there anything else, Defense?"

"My sister's evidence. Is there anything-" Haibara said, stepping up to the edge of the accused's bench.

"There's nothing here on Vodka, only Gin." Akako lifted the box of evidence Haibara had turned over to them, all of her sister's personal belongings found at the scene of her murder. Her cell phone and laptop were placed on the bench, and Akako gestured to the devices.

"Miyano Akemi's electronics were wiped by an EMP, and it was determined by our technician that it was performed after her death." Kaito gestured and Agasa-hakase's report appeared on the holoscreens. "My evidence."

"What does this prove towards establishing a link between criminal alias Vodka and witness Wokka Kaspar?" Hakuba asked, making a cutting motion with his hand that wiped the holoscreens.

"Miyano Akemi was in the process of compiling evidence against the criminal alias Gin and his partner Vodka. She contacted my office and planned to turn over her evidence before she went into protective service." Kaito stalked around the witness stand, eyes fixed on Wokka and his smug and careless expression. "Miyano Akemi was found shot in the head in the apartment she shared with her sister. All of her evidence against these two criminals was wiped from her records. And the accussed, Miyano Shiho, found only one piece of trace evidence, captured by the building's security camera."

Kaito waved a hand and the holoscreens appeared, a video file playing. It was a simple shot of the back entrance of the building, a man dressed in dark clothes and a dark hat exiting the building. He was clutching his shoulder with one hand and had a phone pressed to his ear.

"...didn't have time to leave anything. Of course, I cleaned out everything! I'm on my-" And that was all the audio was able to capture before the man was off screen.

"Again, Kid, how does this establish a link between Wokka Kaspar and criminal alias Vodka?" Hakuba paused the video file at the moment the man exited the building. "We see a man leaving an apartment and holding a conversation. Even attempting to prove a link between their similar body shapes is only circumstantial at best."

"If you would not be so impatient, I believe I was getting to that next," Kaito said, stopping in front of Hakuba's desk and making a gesture with his hand. The video portion of the file cut out, leaving the audio track to play. "If you would be so kind as to repeat the words at the prompt?"

Wokka's placid expression melted into fury. He pressed his lips together and glared at Kaito, who let the audio track play three times before pausing it.

"Without an expert voice analyst, to the layman's ear any similarities can be assumed, especially now that you've prompted the court to listen for those similarities." Hakuba banished the holoscreens. "Try again."

Kaito's smirk only broadened, and he held Wokka's eyes as he crossed the distance between them. Shinichi leaned forward in his seat to better see their faces in profile.

"Then I request that a voice analyst be brought to court so the comparison can be made." Kaito paused and looked back at Akako. She shook her head once and Kaito's smile became more fixed. "In the meanwhile, I would like for our other witness to be brought to the stand."

"Other witness?" Megure asked, shifting in place.

"Yes, your honor. There is one other witness in the room who can provide a link between criminal alias Vodka and Wokka Kaspar." Kaito drew his hand up slowly and brought it down fast to point at the cockatoo. "Wokka's pet bird."

The room erupted into titters and laughter. Akako dropped her head in her hands and Haibara twitched. Shinichi groaned and wasn't sure whether to be mortified or disbelieving. Kaito ignored the room, staring down Wokka as the man started to pale.

"You're going to cross-examine a cockatoo?" Hakuba asked, voice raised to be heard over the din.

"Quiet! Quiet, please!" Megure banged on his bench, the hushed whispers dying off. "Approach the bench, counselors."

Kaito turned on his heel and strode over, elbowing Hakuba as he crowded in close.

"Defense, you are honestly asking this court to permit the witness's pet bird to take the stand?" Megure pitched his voice low, but it carried through the enormous room so even Shinichi could hear it.

"We've already established the bird can talk. I don't see why it isn't possible to ask it a few questions. If this case hinged on a witness's pet dog being able to perform a fetching trick, we could certainly ask to verify the dog's ability to fetch." Kaito defended.

"I realize you treat the justice system like a game, but even this is too ridiculous," Hakuba argued back.

"Afraid I'll find something you can't refute?"

Hakuba snarled. "Fine. I have no objections, your honor. If Kid wants to be made a laughing stock, then let him."

Megure sighed and waved them off. "Then I'll allow it."

Two officers escorted Wokka from the stand and over to the witness seating area, and another officer picked up the bird cage. The cockatoo shrilled whistles as it was brought to the stand, a fourth officer bringing in a table for the bird cage to be sat upon. Kaito stalked over to the defense bench, Akako on her feet and berating Kaito in hissed whispers.

"Are you sure that Kid was the best choice for this, Kudou?" Haibara asked, looking up from her seat to where Shinichi was in the crowd. He grimaced but nodded.

"Witness, please state your name for the court." Kaito stepped around Akako, approaching the bench and resting his hands on the railing.

"Hungry, now," the bird said.

Kaito's shoulders slipped.

"Can you say your name?" Kaito made his voice pleading and light, cajoling without being demanding. "Say you name, pretty bird."

"Hungry!" The bird repeated.

Hakuba snorted. "Maybe a treat will help, Kid."

"What a good idea, Hakuba!" Kaito said through gritted teeth. He pulled a packet of bird seed out of his pocket. "Treat for you, pretty bird. Say your name for a treat."

"APTX 4-8-6-9. Nanatsu No Ko 9-6-9-6-2-6-1." The bird whistled the children's song, bobbing its head in rhythm. It finished by clacking its beak and fluttering its wings. "Hungry, now!"

Kaito slid the open packet through the bars of the birdcage, and the cockatoo snatched the packet, sending seedcake across the bottom of the cage.

Shinichi nearly lunged forward. That music!

"That song! That's the connection!" Haibara was on her feet, leaning over the edge of the railing. Kaito frowned as he looked at her, brow furrowing as he looked between her and the bird. Wokka's face was the picture of horror, and Kaito needed to understand. "The phone number!"

"Kid!" Akako shoved a file at Kaito, who started flipping through it eagerly. He stopped on a page and held it aloft triumphantly.

"This proves the connection between Wokka Kaspar and criminal alias Vodka!" The holoscreens appeared, a copy of the court evidence on the Black Organization's leader's trial. He pinched his fingers together and the screens zoomed in on the phone records.

Ano Kata – 9-6-9-6-2-6-1.

"When you press the buttons on a phone, the button tones follow the melody of the child song Nanatsu no Ko." Kaito smiled, bright and hard. Hakuba seemed gobsmacked. "This bird belongs to Wokka Kaspar, who claimed to have no relation to the Black Organization. This evidence before you was not distributed to the public. There is no way for this man's pet to know both the number and the song without having a connection to the Black Organization!"

Chaos erupted in the court room, yet again. Wokka bolted to his feet and made for the exit, but Takagi and Satou were entering the doors and barring the way. Shinichi jumped to his feet and was nearly down to Haibara when Wokka turned and ran at her, arm drawn back in a fist. Then Kaito was between them, hooking his foot behind Wokka's knee and bringing him to the ground. Shiratori strode past Shinichi and cuffed the man, yanking him upright and forcing him back to the witness' chair.

Kaito watched them haul him to the chair, the entire room complete pandemonium. He smiled in self-satisfaction, walking over to Haibara and looking up to where Shinichi was standing above her.

"I think it'll be easy now to prove that you're innocent, ojou-san." Kaito pulled a rose out of his sleeve, bright yellow and dusted with gold glitter. He offered it to Haibara, who stared at him before gingerly taking it. "When I get your friend declared not-guilty, how about you join me for a celebratory drink, tantei-kun?"

"You haven't won yet, Kid," Shinichi reminded him, relief pulling at his affected serious expression, and the flush on his cheeks was probably obvious.

"I will," Kaito promised, looking over his shoulder at Wokka who was still wrestling with the police and Hakuba who was flipping quickly through his own files.

The Kid fans in the gallery seating were cheering, chanting 'Kid' and stamping their feet. There was little doubt that Kaito had won the day, but nothing was official yet.

"Maybe dinner instead, then?" Shinichi offered, just to see Kaito's cool guy pose falter a little and a soft blush darken his cheeks.

"You're on, tantei-kun."


	19. Stuck in an airport

Someone was tapping their foot. It wasn't loud in the airport, not compared to the sheer number of people bustling about and chattering and the intercom reading off delays, boarding, and loading information. But it was rhythmic and irritating and Shinichi was going to handicap them.

He opened his eyes and pushed himself upright in his chair, his overhead bag landing on the ground at his feet. He scanned the room for the culprit, zeroing in on the young man wearing a beanie, sunglasses, headphones, and a jacket, who was bouncing his leg and shuffling a deck of cards with one hand. The stranger was seated across from him, only the aisle between seats separating them.

"Would you stop?" Shinichi demanded, leaning across the aisle and prodding the stranger in the knee with a hard jab.

The stranger twitched, cards spilling into the aisle and exploding into confetti. Shinichi would have been surprised, but it had been three hours since all three coffee kiosks in the area refused to serve him anymore caffeine and his nerves were stretched thin.

"Why would you do that?" The stranger groaned, slipping out of his seat and gathering together the pile of confetti. "That was my last deck!"

"I'm so sorry for you. Maybe you can find a quieter hobby while we're waiting." Shinichi settled back in his chair, clamping his eyes shut and dropping his palm over them.

"Not even an apology!" The stranger cried out.

Someone was poking him.

Shinichi ignored it.

Someone started poking him in Morse code, 'A-S-S-H-O-L-'

"Hey!" Shinichi growled, and his hand shot out to grab the stranger's. "What is wrong with you?"

"Me? You ruined my cards and didn't even have an apology! I realize you're probably upset at the delay, but did you have to take it out on me?" The stranger pulled his hand out of Shinichi's grip, which made Shinichi blink because barely anyone could escape out of the grip Ran had taught him.

"You were tapping your foot," Shinichi accused, sounding weak even to his own ears. The stranger frowned at him, the blue tinted lenses of his sunglasses only reflecting back Shinichi's own face.

"Sorry," The stranger apologized, caustic and self-righteous, crossing his arms and falling back heavily into his chair. His lips curled into a pout and Shinichi felt a very faint thread of guilt.

"I'm sorry," Shinichi said, after five minutes had passed and the stranger still hadn't moved. "I've been here for thirteen hours, trying to get any flight headed to Japan, but with the weather..."

"The same for me," The stranger said, relaxing into a more comfortable pose. "Who knew Hawaii could have such terrible weather?"

"Yeah," Shinichi agreed. "I'm Kudou Shinichi, by the way."

"Kuroba Kaito. Nice to meet you," Kuroba pulled off his sunglasses and bowed his head, the beanie and headphones landing in his lap. Shinichi gaped as he got his first look at Kuroba's bare face.

"What?"

"I know, right?" Kuroba grinned and pointed at his own nose. "The similarities are frightening."

Shinichi panicked a little bit, the horror that maybe his parents had lied about him being an only child flirted with his stupefied mind, because Kuroba Kaito could be his twin.

"Well, other than the fact that your eyes are a different shade of blue, your nose is wider than mine, your cheekbones sharper, your mouth not as full. And your hair's the wrong shade of brown, too dark to match mine. Your skin tone's too light, but I have been out in the sunlight every day for the past two weeks I've been here, so I'm a little more tan than usual." Kuroba paused and raked his eyes down Shinichi's body. "I'd say our body types are pretty different, too. You've got narrower shoulders than I do, but your legs and chest are more muscled than mine. I'm likely three inches taller than you, as well."

Shinichi could admit to himself, at least, that he was impressed. He shook his head to clear it and felt cheered that the stranger was turning out to be more interesting than he'd thought.

"That was very good," Shinichi said, approvingly, and offered his hand. "But I bet I can figure a few things out about you just by shaking your hand."

"Oh?" Kuroba grinned and took his hand. "The Holmes test. I've got a friend at home who's usually pretty good at it, but he never gets me right."

"I bet I can," Shinichi bragged, ignoring how his heart had pulsed and his face flushed when his offer had been recognized. Holmes was famous for reading Watson just by shaking his hand, it was hardly impressive that someone knew that.

He concentrated on the calluses and muscles in Kuroba's hand, feeling how he flexed his fingers in Shinichi's grip and the faintest fluttering of Kuroba's steady pulse where Shinichi's fingertips skimmed over his wrist.

"You have familiarity firing guns, not any regulation handgun, though. Something custom-made," he said first, used to leading with potentially dangerous information before the rest. "There's a burn scar, here and here, I'd say from touching the hot barrel of a gun, but I'd guess that the damage is actually deeper than that, so you've been in a situation where you've been exposed to a fire, getting a second-degree burn."

"Very good," Kuroba wiggled the two fingers with the burn scars, his pointer and middle fingers. "If you can guess my profession by the end, I'll tell you what happened."

"You're on." Shinichi studied Kuroba's hand, using his fingertips to trace a few marks on the back of his hand. "These are unusual injuries. They're at the wrong angle for a self-inflicted knife wound, but the cut's too thin for accidental injury from a machine or from an attack by someone."

Kuroba hummed, eyes glittering with the same promise for the explanation of the burns.

"The calluses on your hand... other than the guns, I'd say you have experience as a gymnast. A jack-of-all-trades, instead of specializing in one area. You have very tough hands and likely have treated yourself for rips." He stopped and ran his fingers down to the webbing between Kuroba's fingers. "But you wear gloves often. I can't judge that well, based on the time you've spent recently surfing, but I can tell that you wear thin gloves for long hours."

"How could you tell I've been surfing?"

"You admitted to spending all your time out in the sun. And, technically not part of your hand, when I do this – " Shinichi extended Kuroba's arm suddenly, letting Kuroba pull his arm back with a wince. "Sorry, but that's usually a sign that you've overextended your shoulder paddling out. Not many other chances to get that severe an injury here."

"Good point, so I'll allow it." Kuroba rubbed his shoulder with his opposite hand and extended his palm back out to Shinichi. "What else can you deduce?"

"Based on what I saw before I interrupted you?" Shinichi wrapped his fingers around Kuroba's narrow wrist and squeezed. "You're very skilled with your hands, and also familiar with performing sleight of hand tricks. My first guess would be that you've worked as a card dealer in a casino, but their decks don't usually erupt into confetti. So, I would guess stage performer."

"Magician," Kuroba clarified. "A quibbling difference in terms, but that is my preferred title. I was booked at the Halekulani Resort for a three month performance series. Known as The Magician under the Moonlight, Last Wizard of the Century, and the Immortal Kaitou Kid, at your service."

"I've heard about you," Shinichi said, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. His mother had gushed about Kaitou Kid when he'd last seen her, unbearably proud for reasons that Shinichi only determined later. "My mother studied make up and disguise under your father."

"Fujimine Yukiko!" Kuroba snapped the fingers of his other hand and laughed softly. "I knew I'd seen your bone structure somewhere before! You definitely inherited your mother's pretty face."

"Hey!" Shinichi couldn't stop the blush, but he did squeeze Kuroba's wrist warningly.

"I only mean that in the kindest way. She's very beautiful." Kuroba twisted his hand so he could lock his fingers around Shinichi's. Shinichi caught a glint of silver between their hands and then there was a pair of handcuffs linking them together. "I've been getting a reputation for my impossible escape routines and perfect mimicry, and you've been very accurate about my abilities."

"Trick cuffs?" Shinichi studied the handcuffs and used one hand to release them. Kuroba let go of his arm, caught the band that had been around Shinichi's, and faster than he could track, he'd vanished them from sight.

"Very basic trick. My illusions aren't getting the same admiration as my death-defying, but I'm more than familiar with sleight of hand. I've been studying under my father for twenty years." Kuroba let Shinichi inspect his palm, then the floor around them, but the handcuffs had vanished completely.

"So the burns-"

"Have you ever seen the fire-breathing technique?" Kuroba mimed holding his fingers in front of his mouth and blowing. "It's a traditional part of performances around here, but I actually learned it from the Hopper Family, the Magician of Fire's granddaughter, Jodie. Small accident with the accelerant spilling on my fingers during a performance. The show goes on and I ended up doing some incredible damage before getting treatment."

"Not very smart," Shinichi commented, shaking his head in dismay.

Kuroba laughed. "I'm plenty smart. It would have ruined the show if I just bowed out, so I put up with a bit of pain. I didn't cause any irrevocable damage and the performance was one of my highest rated ever."

"Masochistic tendencies," Shinichi noted, smirking at the affronted look Kuroba gave him, which gradually turned thoughtful.

"Maybe a little bit," Kuroba admitted, shrugging his shoulders with a faint wince. Then his smirk warped into something predatory and hungry. "You know, you could always help me find out. An extra set of eyes to check over some experiments, maybe?"

Shinichi almost swallowed his tongue in mortification.

"You do realize you've been holding my hand for about the past..." Kuroba glanced over Shinichi's shoulder. "The past forty minutes. And that friend I mentioned? With the Holmes trick? He usually only does it to girls to flirt."

"Um..." Because that was the very same reason Shinichi used to use it, before he started working as a private detective and found a wider range of use for it. "Uh..."

"You're headed to Japan, right? So am I. We're likely on the same plane. I bet I can convince you to go out with me before we touch down in Japan."

Shinichi found himself grinning back, charmed despite himself and still unable to get the blush off his face. "Deal."


	20. Cousins

This is a cross-over fic, involving Shoutmon and Taiki Kudou from Digimon Xros Wars. And there's briefly mentioned characters from the anime Gokusen. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>"When you said you wanted to visit, somehow I imagined things going differently," Taiki Kudou, the only cousin he had on his father's side of the family and distant enough that there was very little blood between them.<p>

"So did I," Shinichi agreed, looking up at his younger cousin, who'd actually gotten over the shock and surprise at seeing his formerly older cousin in the body of a small child with less confusion than most people did. It likely came from the particular brand of madness that ran in the Kudou blood. "Sorry about this."

"It's okay. Shoutmon doesn't get to spend his time having a lot of fun anymore, so this is actually a very good thing." Taiki winced as the two singers hit a pitch that should have shattered glass. "Or maybe not."

Shoutmon and Kaito carried on, oblivious to the pain they were causing their audience, sketching up a dance routine as they sang along to the lyrics running across the screen.

"We won't get kicked out, will we?" Shinichi asked, sounding hopeful. Taiki shook his head.

"The owners adore Shoutmon. No matter how loud he gets, they're willing to humor him."

"What did you picture happening initially?" Shinichi asked, curious despite himself.

"A murder happening. Or a small crime. Or a kidnapper. Or a bomb on the train," Taiki said immediately, counting off on his fingers.

"Each of those things only happened once," Shinichi protested.

"They're the kinds of things that stick with you." Taiki laughed at Shinichi's sour face. "I don't mean anything bad by it, just those things seem to happen to you a lot."

"I know," Shinichi grumbled.

Shoutmon and Kaito seemed to have worked out a routine and started the song over, dancing around each other and striking poses back to back. The sheer energy and joy he could feel radiating from the pair made him smile.

"Your friend looks familiar," Taiki said, after listening to half of the song before turning to Shinichi.

"That's the Kaitou Kid," Shinichi introduced, blasé and unconcerned about Kaito's secret. He'd butted in on Shinichi's family time. It wasn't like Taiki wasn't smart enough to figure it out eventually, anyway. Kudou men, to counter the supreme crazy in their blood, were blessed with high intellect to get them out of whatever crazy situations they usually wound up in.

"Really?" Taiki's eyes widened.

No one would believe Kaito and Kid were one and the same if they could see him now, Shinichi mused. Kaito was nearly bouncing with energy, having laid eyes on Shoutmon and fallen in wondrous love with the digimon and all things he represented. Shinichi suspected he was trying to figure out how to lure the digimon into being his friend and follow him home.

"Really."

"Do you think he'd sign autographs for me? Akari, Nene, and Tagiru are big fans of the Kaitou Kid." Taiki grinned at Shinichi. "They'd faint if I brought them an authentic autograph."

"He'd sign autographs for you. It's getting him to not deliver them in costume and in person that you'll have a hard time stopping." Shinichi sighed, but it was good-natured. He only had a few months left before Haibara felt she'd tested the latest batch of the cure to her satisfaction and could administer it, and all because sticky fingers Kaitou Kid swiped a few samples and documents from the former Black Org. He felt he could be generous to the thief.

"You seem happier," Taiki said, shifting on the couch and reaching for one of the sodas on the table. He occupied his hands to avoid looking at Shinichi. "Mom said I shouldn't bother you too much about everything that happened, but you seem really happy now and not just..."

"I guess I am happier." Shinichi flexed his hands. "I didn't like being shrunk and trying to take out this huge criminal organization as a child, but I've made a lot of friends and I've learned a lot, too. And now that there's a chance that I can be myself again, I'm just so relieved that everything worked out."

"It always does," Taiki said, nudging Shinichi with his shoulder. He was watching Shoutmon and Kaito, who'd moved on to the next song selection on the karaoke machine and started arguing over who would be the lead.

"Do you think I could get Kaitou Kid to teach me disguises if I promise to take him to the Digital World one day?"

"I think if you offered him that, he'd try to name you his successor." Shinichi groaned at the speculative gleam in Taiki's eye. "No. You cannot be the next Kaitou Kid."

"But he does really great things for people. He's been doing more street shows lately, instead of stealing and harassing the police. He gives all of his tips to charity and performs for free at children's hospitals." Taiki shrugged at the deadpan look Shinichi gave him. "I'm not a fan of him being a thief, but he does some really good things to help people less fortunate."

"He's looking for something in particular. Once he gets it, the thieving stops." Or so Kaito promised. Shinichi figured he could hold him to that, but it didn't really put a lid on Kaito's creativity. It wasn't technically stealing if Kaitou Kid showed up in a museum, taunted the police into a chase, and then ran off.

"But not the magic shows, right?" Taiki laughed when Shinichi grumbled at him. It drew the attention of Kaito and Shoutmon, stopping in the performance to clamor around the table.

"Something funny, tantei-kun?" Kaito asked, plopping next to Shinichi and throwing an arm over the back of the couch. He was panting, sweat on his forehead and a huge smile on his face, but he seemed happy. Shoutmon guzzled the soda Taiki handed over with apparent glee.

"Just having fun," Shinichi said, relaxing into the thief's side with a smile. Taiki helped Shoutmon settle comfortably on the couch next to him and take a breather from the marathon singing. It been a long time since he'd been this happy.

"Good." Kaito ruffled his hair with one hand, lingering with a wistful look for a moment, and then it was gone.

"Hey, Kaito! Catch!" Shoutmon tossed a sweet bun to Kaito, stuffing one in his mouth with his other hand.

"You have the weirdest family," Kaito said, catching the bun and shoveling in in his mouth in its entirety.

"You have no leg to stand on," Shinichi shot back. "Your entire family is nothing but criminals."

Kaito chewed and swallowed thickly, grabbing a soda to wash down the bun. "Aunt Kumiko is a high school teacher. That's not criminal."

"Her husband is the fourth head of the Kuroda family yakuza clan. No leg to stand on," Shinichi repeated.

"Good point," Kaito said, eyes falling on Taiki and his watchful expression. "Thanks for inviting me out with you two, Taiki-kun."

"You make my cousin laugh." Taiki smirked at Shinichi's horrified face and Kaito's surprised expression. "You're welcome to come with Shinichi any time. I'm sure Shoutmon would miss you if you never came back."

"Yeah! You're a lot of fun to hang out with, Kaito!" Shoutmon agreed, waving his microphone with one hand in a vaguely threatening manner. "I'd have to hunt you down if you never came back."

Kaito burst out laughing, great heaving laughs that shook his whole body. Shinichi hadn't ever seen him laugh so openly before. Taiki met his eye and nodded meaningfully at the arm Kaito still had over the back of the couch, fingers brushing through Shinichi's hair.

Shinichi scowled.


	21. Siblings

"You were dropped on your head as a child. That has to be it." Shinichi was sitting with his head in his hands, completely ignoring Kaito and his brilliant idea.

"Not even once," Kaito singsonged, holding one shirt in front of his chest and then the other. The purple shirt really made his eyes pop, but it wouldn't look anywhere near as good on Shinichi. He contemplated the deep blue shirt again, trying to decide if the cut was acceptable.

"There is no reason at all to pretend we're twins. No reason," Shinichi repeated. "What did these people ever do to you?"

Kaito huffed. Shinichi was sucking all of the fun out of his schemes. "Did you not see the notice Jirokichi sent out to me? As if I'd let something like this stop me."

"You are going to wind up in the number one spot on Hakuba's suspicion list. You cannot seriously be considering this." Shinichi raised his head and grimaced.

Kaito rolled his eyes. He stripped out of his shirt and pulled on the blue one, striking a pose at a number of angles in front of the mirror. "I have a permanent spot at number one on Hakuba's list. And if I let Hakuba stop me, I might as well just give up on being Kid forever."

"You could compromise your career as a professional magician."

Kaito tensed, glaring at Shinichi for the under-handed blow. Shinichi looked ashamed, as well he should for using Kaito's greatest fear against him. "If you don't want to help, fine. Don't. But I'll need a new plan for entering the building, one which will be infinitely more dangerous and likely to be exposed. I'm sure I won't have a hard time, personally."

Shinichi was quiet, likely contemplating how serious Kaito was and weighing the odds of backing out versus serving as an accessory. Kaito brought his focus back to the mirror, fingering the neckline that remained a potential problem. It was terribly high and wouldn't complement the rest of the outfit, not that it mattered much for a post-disguise disguise and not the main event.

"You realize that Kuroba Kaito and Kudou Shinichi both are only children, right?" Shinichi asked, lumbering upright and marching to stand beside Kaito at the mirror. He couldn't have acted more unwilling, but Kaito could be magnanimous in this situation.

Kaito hummed. "We wouldn't be going as ourselves. I need a partner of a similar body type, same basic vocal patterns, and easily copied body language. I know you really well, we look uncomfortably alike, and you have some experience bending the rules to win, so all I need for you is to help me get in, and I'll take care of everything else."

"I'm going to get arrested," Shinichi said, but he stretched out an arm and Kaito went to him, edging into Shinichi's space and grinning into his shoulder. Shinichi hugged him and Kaito celebrated his victory as silently as possible. "You are going to get me arrested."

"I've never left a man behind." Kaito twisted and leaned over, pecking Shinichi's blush-pink cheek and slipping out of his hold. "Jirokichi can't bar every exit, not when I've been in his museum so often I don't even need the blueprints anymore."

"I'm sure he thought making every guard and guest, barring himself and Nakamori, either an identical or fraternal twin would be enough to stop you." Shinichi let Kaito take his measurements, obligingly holding out his arms and ignoring the inappropriate technique Kaito used to measure his inseam.

"Jirokichi and Nakamori sequestered themselves somewhere remote so I wouldn't have a chance to disguise as either of them," Kaito mused, copying down Shinichi's measurements and narrowing his eyes on his disguise closet. "Supposedly, there's an invitation list, handwritten by Jirokichi himself, so I can't just sneak in as two extra people."

"So you've bribed someone to not show up?"

"I have a pair of fans willing to pass on a mediocre performance if I volunteer my services for their upcoming fashion show. Their models will be wearing jewelry donated for one night only, and they think it'll give their premier line a fun twist to have Kaitou Kid stage a televised heist." Kaito ducked into his closet and started pulling the suits he'd need to modify for their disguises. "I show up, make a scene, and they rake in the proceeds."

"Do you get a commission?" Shinichi asked, and Kaito knew he was rolling his eyes without having to see his face.

"I get paid in pretty clothes. I send some requested sizes, and they'll manufacture some unique outfits just for me. Dresses, suits, day clothes, uniforms, whatever I like. Do you have any idea how hard it is to make my own disguises? I can hem, adjust, and tailor my suit in my sleep, but the rest of this? I know I make this look easy, but really." Kaito clutched his suits to his chest, poking his head out of the closet and pouting at Shinichi.

Shinichi scrunched up his nose at the clothes piled in Kaito's arms, and Kaito sighed.

"You can explore now. Don't touch anything by the far desk and do not, under any circumstances, try to play a record from the jukebox. Most of the buttons are booby-trapped and I haven't figured out how to disable them without setting something off."

Shinichi abandoned him without hesitation, scouring over every inch of the Kid's lair. Kaito dropped the suits on one of his workbenches, watching his boyfriend prowl around and discretely jab at things in hopes of sending something off.

"How did your father get a car in here?" Shinichi asked, zeroing in on the biggest and flashiest item in the room. Shinichi ran his hands over the bonnet of the car, a very hungry look on his face that Kaito was a bit miffed wasn't inspired by him.

"The floor drops, the wall opens, and there's a tunnel under the house that leads three blocks out. We can go joyriding some other time if you want."

"Did your father booby-trap it, too?"

"It can't turn into a plane or anything, but there's a full panel of buttons I haven't got a chance to play with. Big white car with that vanity plate would definitely attract attention." Kaito leaned back against his workbench and didn't even try to keep the smile off his face. Shinichi was still patting at the car, like it was an animal he needed to calm. "Try not to get too wrapped up. I'll have theses suits modified in a few hours and then we need to practice."

"Kay," Shinichi agreed, absent and dazed and obviously giddy in love with the Kid-mobile.

Kaito snorted.


	22. Teaming up to save abducted children

"How many of these damn places are there?" Shinichi complained, climbing out of the mud and sludge. Kid, who'd managed to spring out of the mess before he'd landed on Shinichi, offered him a hand to get up on the ledge.

"They're like little death islands," Kid said, looking at his soiled gloves with a moue of distaste. Shinichi wasn't feeling very sympathetic. He was sure he had mud in his socks. "My question is, how do you keep finding them all?"

"Really bad luck." Shinichi wiped off as much of the mud as he could, taking the pristine rope of colorful, knotted scarves from Kid to clean his face and glasses. Kid stripped off his gloves and ruined suit jacket, bundling them up and making them disappear. There wasn't a lot of light in the little cave, some pockets from above letting in the afternoon light, but there was enough that he could see the unmasked lines of Kid's face as he took off the monocle and hat.

"We're at a disadvantage," Kid admitted, rolling up the sleeves of his button-up and undoing the red tie. Shinichi turned his head away, unnerved that Kid wasn't even bothering to hide his face as well as he should have, considering that Shinichi hadn't made any promises or offers of a truce.

Kid paused and reached out, unerringly finding Shinichi's hair and mussing it. There wasn't much he could do to fend off Kid, at the large height and weight disadvantage being a child left him with. He batted at the hand, even though it was already halfway back to Kid's own hair before he even got his hand up.

"They won't actually do anything to the kids. And Haibara's there. She can keep them distracted in a pinch. Long enough for the two of us to work some way out of here." Shinichi cleaned off his watch next, turning on the flashlight.

The cave they'd been dropped into wasn't very large. The mudpit right under the trapdoor lead out to a ledge and then ten meters out to a bend. Kid snapped something in his hand and a soft blue glow lit his side of the cave. Kid waved a glow stick near the ceiling, the blue light making his eyes dark and empty in his face, and he was scowling at the lip of the trapdoor.

"What?" Shinichi asked, angling his watch light up to see what upset Kid.

"Kichiemon loves his themes, that's for sure," Kid said, pointing at some script Shinichi was struggling to read. "At least we don't need to climb up through the nine levels of hell."

"We don't have five hundred years to wait for someone on a pilgrimage west." Shinichi scowled at the mocking rendering of Buddha's palm as the center of the trapdoor and five fingers spread out around it.

"Hopefully, there's some way out we can use ourselves." Kid nodded towards the yawning exit before them. "Only one way to go."

Shinichi led the way, holding his arm higher to catch sight of anything that might have been set out of the way from the casual observer. Kid swept the glow stick as high up as he could reach overhead, following Shinichi's lead.

"What were you doing out here? No notices, no challenges, no police within ten kilometers." Shinichi glanced over his shoulder at Kid, who'd pulled on a baseball cap, a dark hoodie, and a pair of black gloves. It made him look infinitely more suspicious than the Kid suit ever had.

Kid hummed, tossing the glow stick in one hand. "I know some of those men holding your friends hostage. Those snipers that had been after me, these men are some of the juniors to those snipers."

"Affiliation to the Black Org?" Shinichi whispered, nearly sub-vocalizing the last two words. Even underground where no one could hear them, it was best to be as cautious as possible.

"None that I can tell. My playmates seem to enjoy the zoo instead of the bar scene. Less cool, really, but you do what you can. Anyone who thinks they can challenge the Kid in style will always come up short." Kid laughed at Shinichi's expression. "Except Mr. Cool Guy, here."

Shinichi stumbled as Vermouth's favored nickname came spilling out of Kid's lips, and there was a moment where he considered Kid's earlier blasé attitude about his disguise was because it was only one disguise, that at the core of it, Vermouth was laughing at him and his relaxation with the thief. "What-"

"Easy there, bouzu. I'm genuine," Kid did a magician's pass as Shinichi watched, trading the glow stick for a handful of roses and a flash of confetti, and then was waving the glow stick again. "But I've been running into quite a few shady characters on my own dealings. Apparently, when you're after what my group are after, there's some brotherly supervision from the same group that brought you childhood 2.0"

"You've seen them." Shinichi breathed hard, panic and fear grabbing his nerves and shredding them. Kid's hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed.

"International thief. I've got friends in all places, and I get quite a few post-heist offers from all types. I nearly took a sight-seeing job for your liquor cabinet before I caught sight of some familiar faces and had to bow out." Kid poked him in the forehead. "Deep breath and focus on the current problem. I'll tell you more when there aren't children in danger."

The cave ended in stalagmites and stalactites, reaching towards each other until it was more like pillars with the thinnest space between them, enough for maybe a sheet of paper but nothing else. Shinichi waved a hand between two of the near-pillars, judging the space and his own size.

"You could fit through. It might be a good idea to go ahead with that. It's likely that any way out of here will be located on the opposite side of the cage." Kid came up beside him and scouted out an opening. "Go through this one. There's less of a drop down."

Shinichi tightened his lips but nodded, letting Kid help lever him upright and turn sideways to pass through the gap between the pillars. His feet touched uneven ground and he tripped as he landed on the opposite side of the cage. "There are words etched across the top of the cave on this side. It doesn't appear to be carved out of natural stone, like the bars have been."

"A clue then." Kid leaned forward, but not even he could slither between bars that barely fit Shinichi's own child body. "What's it say?"

"On mani hatsu mei un." He scanned the rest of the cave, but those were the only words.

Kid groaned. "Do you think if I make a vow of service to you, the bars will just disappear? I might not have a magic size-changing staff, but I do come with plenty of other neat tricks."

"If handcuffs can be substituted for a magic headband," Shinichi shot back, reaching the edges of the wall and frowning at the series of levers he found. "I found something. There's nine levers on the wall, in rows of three. The look like they're made of different materials..."

"Good luck. Chinese dragon bearing nine forms and nine attributes. The Emperor. Kowloon." Kid listed off on his fingers. "But considering the trap, it should have a more direct link to our monkey king."

"There are symbols etched on the handles. I... I've seen this language, but I don't know it. I don't know what they mean, but I think if we move them in the right sequence, we should be able to open the cage." Shinichi scrambled for anything he had, but the slips of paper in his pocket were ruined by the mud from earlier and he'd left his cell phone with Agasa-hakase to call for help.

"I've got my monocle upgraded to see in the dark, but I hadn't telescoped the lens. I have paint? It could wipe off." Kid offered a handful of tubes, which Shinichi took with a contemplative frown.

"I'll put some on the mark and make an impression on something." Shinichi opened one of the tubes, a familiar water soluble paint that was safe for children, and covered the upper most lever handle. He used his other hand and made an impression on his palm in paint. He peeled his hand away carefully and walked over to Kid with his palm extended in offering. "Here."

Kid's hand slipped through the bars and caught his wrist. Shinichi shined his flashlight overhead, studying what he could see of Kid's expression instead of the unusual symbol.

"Never saw the mantra in Tibetan?" Kid asked, lightly tracing the symbol with a gloved fingertip. "There are six symbols that form the on mani hatsu mei un in Tibetan. If you activate the levers marked in the correct sequence, you can let me out. This symbol is the fourth in the sequence."

Shinichi nodded, eyes widening as he met Kid's, completely bare. "What is wrong with you?!" He jerked his chin down, heart beating fast in panic even as Kid laughed.

"It's not my real face. Calm down, tantei-kun." Kid touched his nose. "This is your face. I'm just borrowing it."

Shinichi felt his temper flare, but swallowed down his protest. It could be feasible that Kudou Shinichi went to his cousin's rescue if he was in the area, and it wasn't like he was leading a public life where his movements were announced. Kid had less business in the area. He might have recognized some of the kidnappers but to be able to recognize them in the first place meant that Kid was already in the area, his purpose unknown.

Shinichi let this turn in his mind as he went back and forth between Kid and the levers. Once he had the sequence, he pulled down the levers and held onto the wall to keep his balance as the pillars moved apart and Kid jumped through.

"Why were you here?" Shinichi asked, stepping closer to Kid as soon as the ground stopped moving. "You recognized the men, but that doesn't answer what you were doing out here in the first place."

Kid stilled, smoothly adjusting himself and striding forward. "There's supposedly a treasure here. One of Xi Wangmu's peaches of immortality. Whether it's a true peach or a jewel of some type, those men came to this area to find it. I had been trying to divert them when they stumbled on your friends."

Shinichi stared at Kid's back, not sure he could trust himself to read Kid accurately. But the story rang true, and it certainly reflected what he thought he knew about the thief.

"To get around, we likely just need to choose one direction," Kid said, turning at seemingly arbitrary points when the cave branched. As they turned the last curve, they found stairs leading upwards. "Keep the sun at your back and head west."


	23. Runaway

Conan was sure if he just kept ignoring the problem, it would eventually be arrested and he'd be free to point and laugh. He glared down at the thief, who was crouched in the mouth of the alley across the street from the Mouri detective agency. Kid waved, disguising the gesture by pretending to shake a hat for change.

Conan made a gesture that Ran who have punished him for if she'd caught him.

Kid mimed clutching his heart and weeping.

Conan stalked away from the window before he did something to get himself grounded.

-X-

Kid was still there.

It had been going on for three days and as soon as Conan was back from school, Kid was crouched in the same alley, sometimes disguised as a beggar, sometimes as a street merchant, and even once as a street performer, putting on sleight of hand tricks for a small audience. He didn't try to call attention to Conan, all of his waves and nods disguised as gestures to the crowd around him.

But he wasn't leaving.

Conan was going to have to take some drastic measures.

-X-

Kid's alley was empty.

Day five, Conan noted, and the rain was enough to scare off the thief.

-X-

As if to make up for missing the previous day, Kid's disguise of choice was as a very eye-catching female performance artist, wearing something mechanical and feathery and graphic and posing for pictures with pedestrians.

An enterprising group of students cajoled "her" into a dance competition, recording it on their phones as the costume's wings fluttered and moved.

Kid struck a dramatic pose, wings arched high and arms raised even higher, and Conan deliberately turned his back on the thief to hide his smirk.

-X-

Kid had company on day seven. A pretty girl with red hair, dressed in an Egyptian-inspired costume with snake heads on her shoulders, was stationed at the table they had set up at the mouth of the alley. Kid had dressed down, wearing a gakuran he didn't recognize.

They were spreading cards for passers-by, a mix of several decks, what looked like western tarot cards, pink Clow cards, and casino cards. From the crowd around their table, whatever tricks they were doing were impressive. Conan, seated at Mouri's desk and kicking his feet as he completed his homework assignments, watched them from the corner of his eye.

Every so often Kid would look up, a weak smile on his face that always shuttered under a familiar smirk. The girl with him would look up, too, but whatever she was thinking, he had a harder time discovering.

He found The Mirror Clow card stuck in the mail box after Kid and his friend left.

It defied explanation and showed no sign of tampering.

It wasn't until Ayumi spotted it in his maths book, bookmarking the end of this week's lessons, and explained the card's ability to create a doppelganger that it made anything like sense.

He contemplated shredding it on principle.

-X-

Days eight and nine marked the return of the homeless beggar disguise, though there was a dog, scruffy and well-behaved, but an absolute behemoth of scraggly black fur.

The dog approached him on his way up to the Mouri agency, lingering away from the Poirot cafe because on day eight the manager had come out to chase off the dog when it tried to get closer.

There was a note clipped to its collar.

It simply read: 'I'm sorry.'

-X-

Day ten, and Conan opened one of the windows just as midnight rolled around.

Kid lit down on the sill of the window, crouched to keep his balance and one hand brought up to grip the brim of his hat.

It put his face in the shadows, only the gleam of the monocle visible in the dark.

"If you'd tried to say sorry earlier, you wouldn't have had to waste all your time stalking me." Conan turned away from the thief and settled on the couch. He picked up the Clow card and tossed it back at Kid. "And you didn't reveal anything I hadn't figured out already."

"But seeing the truth and knowing the truth can be two very different things." Kid settled more comfortably, legs dangling outside the window and his upper body turned towards Conan. He rolled the Clow card between the fingers of his left hand. "You could find out my name, my address, school records, everything."

"So?" Conan asked, blunt and frowning at the thief. "Why does it matter?"

"You could make my life incredibly difficult," Kid said, huffing a laugh that made his shoulders shake.

"You're too good to get caught by the police just because of some circumstantial evidence." And it was true, if annoying, that the only way anyone could ever be sure that they were capturing the true Kaitou Kid would be to snag him at a heist. Anywhere else and there couldn't be any guarantee.

"There's quite a big pile of circumstantial evidence in tantei-san's hands." Kid gestured with the Clow card. "If Kudou Shinichi said so, I might as well offer up my wrists for the handcuffs."

That brought him up short. He didn't know Hakuba had so much evidence ready. Even if it was just a trail of circumstantial evidence, with more detectives and additional evidence, it might as well be a noose for Kid.

"You'd leave. If we try to go after your civilian identity, you'd just leave. What you're after is too important to ignore for your own safety." Considering the thief was always being shot at these days, Conan was sure he valued his prize above his life. And Kid had a high regard for life with his No One Gets Hurt Policy.

"I would." Kid nodded. "That's why I wanted to apologize. I placed you in a difficult position when I showed you my face."

"You didn't need to apologize," Conan admitted, gesturing at Kid with one hand. "I was angry at the situation."

"I know," Kid said, making the Clow card disappear. "So I can expect to see you at the next heist?"

"If I catch you there, it's fair. But I won't try when you're not on the job." Conan stood up and crossed the room to the thief. He jabbed a finger at Kid. "So stop stalking me."

Kid laughed, bracing one hand on the sill of the window and leaning into the room. He pressed a kiss to Conan's forehead before Conan could even think of backing away and pushed off the window. He vanished into the night, his laugh still echoing in the quiet.

Conan slammed the window shut.


	24. High School Teachers

There was a vase of flowers on his desk.

Kaito stared at the flowers, brilliant red roses that had to have been bought just that morning. No one ever left him gifts, so their presence was more than a little surprise.

"Miyano-sensei?" Kaito waved to attract her attention, drawing her way from the chemistry exam she was grading. She glanced up and hummed in question, righting her glasses as they slipped down her nose.

"What is it, Kuroba-sensei? I'm busy," she said, distractedly turning back to her papers.

Kaito would have crossed his arms and huffed at her, but she was frightening and would probably poison him or turn his skin blue. She'd done it once before for a much smaller slight than that. "Do you know who left the flowers?"

"They were here before the teacher's meeting." Her eyes turned a shade flinty, lips tightening in anger. Kaito took a step back and pasted on an apologetic smile.

"Yes, and thank you for watching my class. I won't ever be late again," Kaito promised, holding back the urge to flee. Something about Miyano made him much more nervous than anyone he'd ever met. "About the flowers..."

"A deliveryman from the Yamanaka flower shop. He didn't leave a note?" She actually leaned over the stack of books between their desks, reaching out to tug at one of the roses.

"No note," Kaito answered, discreetly edging the vase out of her reach. "Maybe I have an admirer?"

"Unlikely." She smirked at him, plucking a rose out of the vase. "An admirer would have left a note."

"I guess," Kaito agreed, shoulders dropping at the thought. No one ever gave him flowers. He gave out so many, so casually, to anyone who looked like they needed cheered up, but he'd never received any before. It was only a little disappointing, he reflected.

"Kuroba!"

His shoulders fell even more. Hakuba was even more militant now than Kaito remembered.

"Yes, Hakuba?"

"Head teacher," Hakuba shot back. He stopped in front of Kaito's desk, looming over Kudou's empty desk with a scowl and waving a pocket watch in one hand. "Did you happen to forget the time as well as my title, Kuroba?"

"No, head teacher," he snapped. Hakuba wasn't mollified. Kaito hadn't expected him to be. "My train was late this morning. I won't be late again."

"See to it. Miyano-sensei has better uses for her time than to spend it doing your duties as well as her own." Hakuba strode off without another look back. It meant he missed Kaito stick his tongue out at his back in a pique of childish anger.

Miyano coughed, a soft laugh she'd tried to disguise but Kaito knew better. He smiled at her, rolling his eyes as he sat down at his desk.

"Would you believe I went to high school with that prick and that this is him mellowed out?" He picked up the vase and sat it over his books, until it was at the edge of Kudou's desk.

"You'd think he'd be used to your unreliability," Miyano commented, tapping her watch meaningfully. "After all, your next class starts in two minutes and it takes three to get there."

Kaito groaned but grabbed his books and took off at a trot. "Don't steal any more of my flowers!"

-X-

There was a vase of flowers on his desk.

Shinichi dropped his books on his desk, frowning as he touched the roses. His mother was the only person he knew that would send him flowers, and she usually preferred to send the strangest and most exotic looking species she could to taunt him about her globetrotting.

"Who left me flowers?" He looked across the desk. Miyano was scribbling across a student's chemistry exam, leaving vibrant red comments across the entire page. Apparently, someone was going to be taking remedial classes after school. Shinichi tamped down the sudden well of pity for the unknown student. No one wanted to take remedial classes with Miyano.

"Flowers?" Her head lifted, enough that he could see the recognition in her eyes and the sudden slanted smile. "Maybe an admirer?"

"Admirer?" He'd received tons of gifts from fans, back when he was in the papers as a high school detective. When he'd moved into teaching higher level mathematics instead of opening his own private office, the admirers had tapered off. "Why would I have an admirer?"

"Maybe they admire you?" Miyano rolled her eyes. "Why would you expect me to know that? Honestly, Kudou, I don't see the appeal myself."

"No one asked you, Haibara." He stressed her nick-name. She scowled at him, all good-humor leeched out of her face.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Kudou. I doubt any admirer would endure such callous treatment, even if only second-hand." She waved a dismissive hand at her watch. "Don't you have club duties this hour?"

It was five minutes to the hour. And he did have a junior detective's club to preside over. He straightened the vase of flowers, running a finger over the velvet-soft petals.

"Don't steal my flowers, Ai-chan."

"I'd hurry, Conan-kun." She tapped her watch meaningfully, bringing her red pen up to touch the blunt end to her chin. "Or you'll be late."

She was going to write the incorrect answers in his teacher's edition. She was cruel that way.

-X-

Kaito collapsed in his chair, trying to catch his breath and slow his racing heart. He'd have to confiscate the keys to the sports club equipment shed from one of the other teachers before any enterprising students tried to test-fly their homemade ornithopter without supervision. It was hard enough to talk Namikaze out of needing to guard it from saboteurs.

"Is that your disaster in the sports shed?"

Kaito's head snapped up, a snarl on his lips that died into an indifferent smile as Kudou approached him. He was wearing a navy blue track suit, covered in grass stains and dark with sweat, and a hideously attractive scowl. Seriously, Kaito had dirty thoughts about being pinned between that scowl and a wall. If Kudou ever smiled at him, he'd probably be too attractive for any mortal to stand and Kaito would go into heart failure.

"Well? Is that your mess or not?"

"It's an ornithopter." Kaito pushed himself upright, smile shaky on the edges with exhaustion. "For Physics Club."

"It's blocking the area for the ball cages. You need to move it." Kudou didn't even look tired, despite how hard he must have been practicing with the soccer team.

"No can do. I need to keep it someplace where I can lock it up and keep the only keys. Last I saw, Namikaze-kun was trying to convince Niwa-kun and Takayama-chan they could pilot it themselves by launching from the roof." Kaito shook his head and shrugged. If they thought they'd get enough lift, even having the two lightest members helping Namikaze power it, it definitely wouldn't make it farther than a glide to the soccer field.

"I can't leave sports equipment outside to be stolen." Kudou crossed his arms and tapped his foot expectantly. "So you need to move that behemoth."

"Just roll your carts into the locker room. I'll be here early tomorrow to finish setting up for launch, so I'll move your stuff back after." Kaito offered his most charming smile, one that had pried pastries, cookies, and candy bars from all the women in his neighborhood since he was five.

If Kudou was affected, he didn't show it. His scowl actually got darker and he dropped his arms to his side, leaning forward threateningly. Kaito's eyes traced the line of his throat, jaw flexing as he swallowed back something Kaito was sure would be mean-spirited. He remembered himself in time to not flinch in surprise when Kudou thrust a finger into his face and snarled.

"If you won't move it, then I will."

"You can't-" Kaito started, but Kudou cut him off.

"If you think for one minute that-"

A cell phone started chiming, something upbeat and electric and not at all what Kaito would expect Kudou to like.

Kudou drew out his phone and turned on his heel, the dark look he sent over his shoulder faded as he answered the phone. He was out of the office before Kaito could hear any of his conversation.

Sure enough, when Kaito gathered his supplies and left for the day, the ornithopter was sitting outside of the shed, the door behind it obviously locked tight.

He grabbed the wings and pinned them to the side, disengaging them slightly from the main body to better maneuver it. He wheeled it into the boys locker room, hoping that no one would get to the school before him tomorrow and destroy the thing.

-X-

Shinichi slumped onto the bottom row of bleachers, covering his yawn with one hand and holding his coffee upright with the other. He was at school way too early, so much so that Hakuba was the only other person in the office. He'd learned his lesson on his second day of work, when Hakuba had arrived exactly on time and more alert and aware than humanly possible and started nattering on and on about this regulation and that student's attitude.

There was absolutely no reason to subject himself to that when he'd barely even had a mouthful of coffee between waking and arriving at the school.

But he was awake enough to hear the thunderous crash and subsequent shouting.

He pushed himself upright and slugged back as much of his coffee as he could before abandoning his cup and taking off towards the sounds of chaos.

It definitely fit that description. Kuroba's ornithopter laid in several pieces, both wings detached and crumpled and the main body broken into three chunks. Amidst all the broken and shattered pieces were three first year students he recognized, mostly from seeing them in front of Hakuba's desk and making apologies.

Namikaze, Niwa and Takayama all looked worse for wear. None of them appeared to be injured seriously, but he doubted any of them escaped without a concussion.

"Are you three alright?" he asked, picking his way through the wreckage and up to Takayama. She was laying on her side, hair in disarray and dirt on her face, and she seemed to be cradling her arm. She met his eyes with a watery smile and let him help her sit upright.

"I think I dislocated my shoulder," she confessed, blinking back tears. Shinichi grimaced and nodded, taking hold of her uninjured arm and guiding her out of the mess and to the bench.

"You're going to be alright. I'm going to get the boys and we'll all go to the nurse's office. We'll have to call your parents and let them know about this. Senju-san will insist on a hospital visit for all of you." He brushed some of the dirt off her chin and pulled the bow out of her hair, offering the red ribbon back to her with a nod.

"We didn't mean to wreck it, Kudou-sensei. It was an accident."

"I believe you," Shinichi said, looking back at the two boys. Both of them were sitting in the middle of the wreck, heads bent together and ashamed looks on their faces. He knew guilt when he saw it.

"Namikaze-kun, Niwa-kun, are either of you hurt?" Shinichi approached the two boys, studying them critically as he did so. Namikaze had a bit of blood at his mouth, possibly a bitten lip or cheek from the impact, and several scrapes on his arms and chin. Niwa looked a little dazed, a probable concussion then, and the same amount of scrapes and bruises as his co-conspirators.

"Not too bad, sensei." Namikaze groaned as he climbed to his feet, wobbling in place before he steadied. Shinichi helped Niwa upright when the boy seemed to struggle getting his feet under himself.

"That's good, but we're still going to see Senju-san. She is not going to be impressed with this stunt. And I'm sure Kuroba-sensei is going to be incredibly disappointed with all of you." Shinichi let Niwa lean into him as the made their way to the bleachers to collect Takayama.

-X-

There would be time later, he knew, to be upset and angry, but right now all he could feel was horrible, breathtaking relief and the stinging bite of guilt. Kaito stopped outside the door to Senju's office, listening to his students laugh and Kudou scold them in the quiet lulls. He clenched his eyes shut and took a shuddering breath, burying down his fear in favor of his anger.

He opened the door and stepped inside, all of the laughter suddenly cutting off as his students caught sight of him. Takayama had one arm in a sling, her sweet face scratched up and bruised. Niwa was laying down on the bed to her right, bandages tapped to his chin and an icepack on his head. Namikaze was the least injured, but his eye was blackening and his forearms were completely covered under a layer of bandages.

"Kuroba-sensei," Namikaze muttered, the guilt and fear on his face plain. "I take full responsibility for everything."

"It wasn't just his fault. We all contributed," Takayama protested, reaching out with her good arm and touching Namikaze's wrist. She glanced over at Niwa and nodded. "Daisuke-kun and I went along with Minato-kun. We didn't disagree with him."

"But it was my idea," Namikaze said, squaring his shoulders and pulling away from Takayama. "I found the ornithopter and I was the one who insisted we could actually fly it from the roof."

"But-" Takayama started again, but Kaito held up his hand and they all fell silent.

"I would like for you to tell me precisely what you did after you found the ornithopter," Kaito said, glancing at Kudou and pulling one of the visitor's chairs over to sit beside him. "But first, I have a few questions for Kudou-sensei."

"Of course, Kuroba-sensei," Kudou said.

"Has Senju-san notified Hakuba-san or their parents yet?"

"She's discussing their injuries with him right now. Then they will be contacting their parents. And then I believe all three of them will be escorted to the hospital for a check up to be absolutely certain there are no further issues." Kudou held his eyes, something faint and dark in them that unsettled Kaito. It couldn't have been guilt. Possibly some fear or anger, maybe even disapproval because it was clearly Kaito's own fault for this debacle.

If he'd been insistent with Kudou, if he'd laid out his concerns reasonably, Kudou wouldn't have dismissed his request outright. Or at the least, would have helped Kaito find an alternative location to house his project. Instead of behaving like a professional, he teased and prodded and was generally unreasonable so that Kudou was completely justified for refusing his request.

"That's good to know, Kudou-sensei." Kaito looked away and took in his students' shamed faces. His shoulders fell forward. "Would you please ask Miyano-sensei to cover my homeroom and the other first year teachers to rotate watching my classes? I need to handle this situation fully."

"Of course," Kudou agreed, moving to his feet and giving the kids one last, long look that had the three of them squirming. Kudou reached out, hand hanging in the air awkwardly between them, and clasped Kaito's shoulder once. "We'll handle everything, Kuroba-sensei."

"Thank you." Kaito tracked him as he left the office and found himself wishing Kudou had stayed. Someone needed to be the adult in this situation, and Kaito was mildly panicked that it would fall to him. But his students obviously saw him as the adult he appeared and not the childish brat he knew he still was. "Now. I would like Namikaze-kun to tell me exactly what he did when he came to the school this morning, then Takayama-chan, and then Niwa-kun."

Namikaze nodded, took a deep breath, and started.

-X-

He would have time later to find out what was going to happen to Kuroba and his students. He could force back his nerves until then.

"Why are you helping out?" Miyano asked, frowning as Shinichi dug through Kuroba's desk with a grim smile. "You don't even like Kuroba."

"I never said I didn't like him," Shinichi said, finally uncovering Kuroba's lesson plans and homework assignments. Physics had enough higher math in it, he thought he could reasonably manage. It wasn't like he needed to do it for longer than one day, anyway.

"But still, you're being terribly charitable to someone you only tolerate." Miyano tapped a finger on the cover of Kuroba's lesson plan book. "Don't you have a few classes of your own today?"

"My higher level students have projects, so I'm assigning a free day to collaborate and use the school's resources to complete them. I have two classes that I need to be present for, and both Mizuno-san and Takamine-san have agreed to stand in for me." Shinichi gripped the stack of papers tightly, shoulders hunching up as he avoided Miyano's eyes.

"Exactly. You're being very charitable." Miyano gave up trying to meet his eyes and sat at her desk with a sigh. "But if you're going to do it anyway, I won't stop you."

"Thanks." Shinichi glanced around the room, deliberately avoiding the corner of the room where Hakuba and Senju were still in conference. While Senju wore her expressions freely, the concern and certainty on her face evident even from across the room, Hakuba's face was blank. But the man would shoot short steady glances towards Kuroba's desk that worried Shinichi.

"He fought hard to even get permission to construct that aircraft. He was to pilot it himself with some older classmen in his Physics Club, students who have pilots licenses for small planes and planning to be commercial pilots. I don't know how he found the students or even knew about their abilities. I don't think one of them even had a pilots license before he proposed the project." Miyano stopped and was staring at the flowers between his desk and Kuroba's. "He made several promises to Hakuba and Hashirama-san."

And Hashirama was entering the room, face as expressive as Hakuba's. The principal scanned the room as he walked past the teachers' desks, meeting Shinichi's eyes and narrowing slightly. Shinichi pulled away from the man's stare, turning his back on the far corner of the room and settling Kuroba's papers more comfortably in the crook of his arm.

"I could attend your detective club duties this afternoon," Miyano volunteered before he could leave. "It'll be pleasant to see the Shounen Tantei again."

"Thank you," Shinichi said, hoping she heard the sheer wealth of gratitude in his voice.

She hummed in response, just loud enough to carry over the whispering that broke out in the room as Senju suddenly and loudly protested something. Shinichi kept moving, needing to get to the classroom ahead of time to prepare, dread biting at his heels the entire walk.

-X-

Kaito had only been to the principal's office twice in his entire career at the school. The first time, he'd just accepted his teaching position and the principal was familiarizing him with the workings within the school before turning him over to Hakuba. The second time had been when he made a promise that there would be no complications with his ornithopter.

Now, he was being escorted to the office by Hakuba and Senju, both of their faces set in sympathetic expressions. If even Hakuba was feeling sorry for him, he knew nothing good was to come of this visit.

Hashirama's office was immaculately clean and decorated with an earthy tone, vibrant plants in the corners of the room and shades of greens and browns on the furniture. The desk was positioned so that the afternoon light would stream in from behind it, casting the man behind the desk in a halo of light while hiding his face in shadows.

Kaito had approved of the entire set up, from the decorations to the atmosphere. It reminded him of the strategic choices of generals and emperors, who bared their backs to the sun and dared to be brought low for it.

There was only one chair in front of his desk, leaving Hakuba and Senju to stand on either side of him as he sat down. Another strategic choice to remind him of his situation.

"We are considering your resignation," Hashirama said.

Kaito clenched his hands and fought not to drop his eyes.

"While it is clear that you are not at fault for the students' choices, you had made several assurances to myself and others that precisely this incident would not occur. None of the students' families are willing to place blame upon the school, considering their own disciplinary records and the students' obvious penances." Hashirama paused and sighed, his shoulders dropping and the lines of his posture shifting to defeat. "But the fact remains that an incident has occurred and you made a promise at the beginning to be held accountable."

"I understand," Kaito said, proud that his voice didn't shake in the slightest. "I will have my personal belongings removed and a formal letter delivered as soon as possible."

"Thank you for being respectful, Kuroba-san. I regret that it has come to this." Hashirama stood, prompting Kaito to do the same, and extended his hand. "Please use us as a reference for any future positions. Be assured that you will receive fair representation."

"Thank you, Hashirama-san." Kaito clasped the man's hand, smiling when Hashirama tightened his grip to make it look less obviously like Kaito's hand was shaking. "It has been an honor."

"Good luck, Kuroba-san." Hashirama released him and nodded to Kaito's left, where Hakuba was hovering silently.

Kaito turned to him and offered him the most sincere smile he could when it felt like his life was falling apart. Hakuba didn't say anything or move an inch until Kaito started towards the door.

"I'll help you get what you can. You can leave the rest and I'll bring it to your apartment," Hakuba offered.

"Thanks." Kaito bumped his shoulder into Hakuba's.

"Is there anything I could do for you, Kuroba-kun?" Senju asked as she passed them and opened the office door. She'd been the first true offer of friendship he'd had, despite the fact that they'd had an ill-fated first meeting. She'd set his broken leg, helped him to the hospital, and bitched and complained about repayment until he'd given her lottery tickets and she'd cleaned house.

Apparently, she had nothing but bad and worse luck until he started vetting her tickets for her.

"You could let me know if anything else happens with my- with the kids," Kaito said, correcting himself at the last moment. He couldn't use a phrase like 'my students' if he wanted to accept his situation.

"Of course," Senju agreed, brushing her blonde hair out of her face with a wide grin. "Just don't be a stranger. You're good luck, kid."

"And you need all of that you can get," Kaito agreed, and even if his chest was still tight, if there was an ache that threatened to crush him, he could still laugh.

-X-

Shinichi had been in the nurse's office pretty regularly for only having started working for the school at the beginning of the year. Senju Tsunade was always ready to evaluate his knees and give him some warning if his shoulder seemed to be getting weaker. It kept him from running to the hospital every time his bullet wound ached and his knees collapsed.

Unlike his previous visits, Senju was slumped at her desk, elbows on the desk and head bent low. The three kids were gone, having been escorted to the hospital when their parents picked them up. He hadn't expected to find either the kids or Kuroba still in the office, but he'd hoped that maybe Kuroba would have dropped in on Senju to get an update if one was available.

"Senju-san? Are you busy?" he asked, closing the office door behind himself.

Senju jumped, rocking in her chair and pushing her bangs out of her face. "Kudou-kun? No, come in. I'm not busy."

"Have you heard anything about the kids?" He stopped by her desk, leaning against the wall next to it and setting his stack of papers on an adjacent bed.

"Takayama's parents are keeping her home for a few days, but Niwa and Namikaze will both be at school tomorrow. They have classroom responsibilities for three months as punishment, as well as any additional tasks the first year teachers would like completed." She smiled lightly at him, but none of that explained the unhappy set to her shoulders and the absolute misery in her eyes.

"Something else happened," Shinichi said, frowning as she dropped her eyes and nodded.

"Kuroba's resigned."

"Hashirama fired him?" Shinichi asked, the first lick of anger sharpening his voice. Senju was already shaking her head, leaning back in her chair with a sigh.

"Kuroba wasn't going to get permission to build or fly his stupid thing unless he promised unauthorized students wouldn't be allowed on it. He had some volunteers and told Hashirama that if anything happened, he'd take full responsibility and end his position." Senju's jaw clenched, a muscle twitching in her cheek as she swallowed back whatever she planned to say next. "Hashirama just reminded him of his promise. Kuroba only needs to send in his formal resignation. He's already left."

"Excuse me," Shinichi muttered, grabbing the papers and taking off at a quick stride.

"I'll send you his address!" Senju called out to his back. "Just in case."

"Thank you!"

-X-

Kaito buried his face in his hands, scrubbing at his eyes once hard. Sitting alone in his apartment surrounded by his teaching supplies and the vase of red roses, all the pain he'd buried under his smile in Hashirama's office spilled over and drew wet lines down his face. No one else was there. No one would offer platitudes for something that was his own damn fault.

He'd fallen into school life so much easier than he'd thought he'd would. His father had been the world's greatest magician, but Kaito hadn't wanted to wash the last of the man away by stealing his title. Teaching physics and the sciences had been unlike any of the futures he'd dreamed for himself, accepting it as a temporary thing with the hopes of doing stage performances on the side.

But he'd thrown himself into teaching with abandon, finding it far more rewarding than the few times he'd pranced across the stage in full costume. His magic tricks added an edge to his lessons that the students seemed to thrive on, especially when he promised to teach them as part of their practical application lessons.

The ornithopter was just one more step in that direction. He'd thought about doing a hang-gliding demonstration, but when his mother proposed doing something that the students could build instead... He'd never seen students work so hard for anything before, and it felt incredible to give them that chance. He'd halfway expected Namikaze to come up with some harebrained plan to fly the thing during its construction, so there was some small justification in being proven right.

The polite knocking on his door roused him from his sulking. Just because he didn't currently have a job didn't mean that he could lay around and feel sorry for himself.

"One moment please," he called out, scrubbing his face vigorously and slapping his cheeks a few times to flush them red. He opened the front door and stilled, because of all the people he expected to see, Kudou wasn't one of them.

"You quit," Kudou accused, panting gently, face flushed and the most monstrous scowl to date on his face.

"Not yet," Kaito said back, caught wrong-footed and blinking as Kudou gave up on manners and just barged in between Kaito and the door frame. "Technically, no, but essentially, yes, I guess."

"You didn't even try to defend yourself!" Kudou's lack of manners apparently didn't extend beyond home invasion, because he stood in the middle of the entry way and glared, not backing away. Kaito had to close his door and press back against it to feel like there was any space between them at all. "Senju said you made a promise and Hashirama reminded you. That was a stupid promise."

"It was a necessary promise," Kaito defended, clenching his hands together. "Of course students were going to try to fly it! I never would have received approval to build it if there wasn't any real leverage. I knew what I was doing."

"Did your students know?" Kudou asked, and he was looming, suddenly seeming taller and angrier and he would have been a nightmare on the police force. The fact that his students seemed well adjusted spoke for how tight a lid he must have kept on his behavior, because if Kaito ever got this look from one of his teachers, he wasn't sure he'd ever even think about breaking polite etiquette never mind the rules. "Did you tell them what would happen to you if they stepped out of line?"

"No," Kaito admitted, stomach turning uncomfortably. If they'd had known, they might not have acted, but it hadn't seemed fair to tell them. He'd believed in them, and sometimes people made mistakes. They didn't need to feel guilty about the things he chose to take responsibility for.

"Then it wasn't fair to them. They love you. All three of them accepted the school's punishments and their parents passed on their apologies, to you, Hakuba and Hashirama each. And when they finally get back to school, they'll know instantly that it was their fault you left." Kudou stared him down, lips tightening to a near bloodless color. Only his eyes were bright, now, since it seemed his fury had washed the color off his face.

"I made a promise because I believed in them. They're good kids who make mistakes, sometimes. I didn't tell them because I wanted them to be those kids. If I told them not to do something or I'll get fired, that's just leverage for their behavior. They'd lose all respect for me because I'd start bargaining or threatening. And then something like that loses all meaning. They need consequences. And so do I." Kaito had leaned forward while he was defending himself, chin raised and shoulders back and Kudou's face was closer than it'd ever been in their entire acquaintanceship.

"They still needed to know. If they don't know all the facts, they make bad decisions. They make mistakes. When they shouldn't have had to, if the people they trusted were honest." It was the lowest blow yet, something that twisted his heart, dropped his stomach and flushed his face with anger.

"If I was able to lock the damn thing up, then I doubt it would have happened at all." Kaito crossed his arms and felt slightly triumphant when Kudou flinched and his shoulders dropped.

"Exactly. Part of this was my fault, too. That's why you should have fought against it." Kudou sighed and brought one hand up to card through his hair. "I wasn't being professional when I refused to help you, and because of my actions, you weren't able to keep your word."

"It wasn't your fault," Kaito objected. The triumph faded away to unease and guilt. He hadn't meant that, really. "I didn't ask like a colleague should. I was inappropriate."

"If that was inappropriate, then what I did was as well." Kudou shuffled in place, suddenly looking nervous and uncertain, eyes glancing around them uncomfortably.

He must have just realized how rude he was being, Kaito thought, the guilt soothed at Kudou's admission and obvious discomfort. "I apologize, then."

"I apologize, as well," Kudou said, nodding. "Would you reconsider accepting your termination if I went to Hashirama and explained my own part?"

Kaito bit his lip to hold in the fierce yes he wanted to shout. "It wasn't really your fault, you know. I could have tried to bar the locker room better than what I did."

"It would have been locked in an inaccessible location if I hadn't been rude. Hashirama would understand that you'd done your best. Everyone makes mistakes, sometimes. What matters is if they learn from them." Kudou hesitated then offered his hand.

Kaito considered him carefully, ignoring how much better that small, hopeful smile looked than even Kudou's breathtaking scowl. He thought about how miserable he'd been just before Kudou butted in, and how he'd had no idea what to do with his life if he couldn't teach. And he still might not get Hashirama to reconsider, but it would have been some protest, some defense that he'd been human and not careless with student safety.

"Yeah," Kaito agreed, reaching out to take Kudou's hand and clasp it tightly.

-X-

Shinichi buried his face in his hands, scrubbing at his face hard. The brilliant red blush wasn't deterred in the slightest and Miyano kept laughing at him.

"I can't believe you thought they were your flowers," she said, cheerful in the face of his humiliation and Kaito's triumphant return to their teaching staff.

"They were on my desk," Shinichi hissed back, raising his eyes to glare at her. She pulled her hand away from her face so her could see the full extent of her devious smile.

"Kuroba moved them off his desk so I couldn't sabotage them. I can't help what conclusions you leap to, Conan-chan." She smirked at him, turning her head to smile at the even larger vase of flowers on Kaito's desk, this time a bouquet of bright yellow daffodils with a cheery note, congratulating him on his return. The Yamanaka Shop delivery man apologized for not leaving the note for the previous day's flowers when he'd dropped off the new bouquet, apparently sent from Kaito's mother to express her pride in his two year teaching anniversary.

"You acted like they were mine!" Shinichi jumped as hands descended on his shoulders from behind, looking up to see Kaito's face looming over his with an incandescent smile.

"If you'd like, you can have these!" Kaito sang out, reaching over Shinichi's shoulder to snap up one of the daffodils and placing it behind Shinichi's ear with one quick motion. But it wasn't fast enough for Shinichi to miss the soft pads of Kaito's fingers brushing over his cheek or the way Kaito's eyes had darkened, turning hungry and warm, before melting back into that cheery smile.

Miyano just laughed at him, a gloating expression on her face that meant she hadn't missed anything.


	25. Law School

Shinichi stopped as his preferred study table in the library came into view. Usually, no one else was there at the same time he was because of the unusual hours he kept. Now, his table was covered with books, like a localized twister leaving behind only one clear spot where a man sat at the table hunched over in his work.

He could find some other place. Eleven at night wasn't too unusual to still see people in the library. And Shinichi wasn't doing anything for his coursework, at any rate, so it wasn't a big deal.

With that thought in mind, he found another table for the night.

-X-

It wasn't a one time thing. Three nights later, the same man was at Shinichi's table, a virtual mountain of books nearly hiding him from view.

Displeased but willing to concede that he didn't necessarily own the table, he left to find another place.

-X-

His patience ran out on the fifth such occurrence.

Instead of walking away this time, Shinichi approached the table and its mountain of books, taking in the sheer number of them that definitely weren't casual or light reading for any of the lower lever courses. Which was strange because the man seated at the table had to be Shinichi's age or just one year older, definitely not old enough to traditionally be in the higher courses yet. But Shinichi expected if he was going to meet any hyper intelligent individuals, law school was a good place for it.

"Do you mind sharing the table?" he asked after a few minutes of observing the man and being ignored. The man grunted something, not even lifting his head out of his book, and waved with his note-taking hand at the empty chair across from him.

Shinichi snorted at the rude behavior, but shifted the books aside to make space for himself and settled in. The reason he chose this table, and why he didn't care if he had to share it, was because it was the most secluded and private table in the entire building that also provided a strategic view of the upper floor and the lower floor below them.

He hadn't been able to comfortably study since the man had started taking over his table, and even if the man was going to be passive aggressive about sharing, he'd gladly enter a war of attrition for conquest of his study space.

He didn't have as much work with him, but even when he finished, Shinichi stayed seated and turned his attention to surreptitiously watching his tablemate. They looked close in age and very similar in profile, though the other man had longer hair pulled back in a low tail at the nape of his neck. The rest of their features were just shades apart, nose shape slightly different and cheekbones more angular and eyes a darker shade of blue.

"If you're going to stare, you can leave," the man said, lifting his eyes from his book and then back down dismissively. He stopped writing to shove his notebook over, transfer his pen to his left hand, and fish a book out of the pile with his right.

"Sorry," Shinichi muttered, not too sincere about it but willing to make the polite effort. He grabbed the book on top of the nearest stack and flipped open the table of contents.

Definitely not material any class covered during the first semester.

"Don't get anything out of order."

Shinichi clenched his teeth together. He closed the book and dropped it heavily on the stack. It made the other man flinch, leaving a black streak across the neat lines of text as he accidentally rubbed his palm over the wet ink.

Satisfied, Shinichi grabbed his things and left without a backwards glance.

-X-

He'd been accurate to call it a war of attrition.

So far nothing incredibly valuable had been lost, but he had to explain to Ran why he needed to replace the book her mother had allowed him to borrow. He was pretty sure he'd lost a year or two off his life expectancy given how frightening she'd been.

The losses were accumulating on both sides, Shinichi could say with pride. He'd lose a book and the other man would lose some notes. He'd been evicted after the librarian caught him sneaking coffee in, which was grossly unfair because it was universally acknowledged that any caffeine-related rule violation was never reported by any other student. Shinichi'd been sure to check out and then hold until their initial three week deadline the forth, ninth, and second volumes in the three separate book series he'd seen the man stacking on the table after waving at Shinichi, who'd been sandwiched between two campus security guards with the illegal coffee thermos.

Ran and Hattori had grown so sick of listening to him complain they'd actually threatened to introduce themselves to his adversary and turn the tide. Haibara was still refusing to answer his phone calls or text messages.

But he'd seen the other man typing out on his phone with a sullen expression several times, so he expected that his friends were as annoyed as Shinichi's friends were.

They'd both come to the unspoken agreement that any time actually spent at the table was a temporary truce, so Shinichi could sit and work across from the man who was making his time outside the library miserable.

"I'm Shinichi," he said, pausing in his note taking with the sudden revelation they'd never even introduced one another.

His tablemate stopped, righted himself from his hunched studying, and met Shinichi's eyes with wary amusement. The corners of his mouth tugged up, softening his features and increasing their similarities enough that it made Shinichi's stomach churn.

"I'm Kaito."

-X-

"Missed you yesterday," Kaito said as Shinichi dropped his bag in one chair and then himself in another. He groaned as he relaxed into the stiff chair, dropping his head back and closing his eyes.

"Funny. I had to avoid a hoard of students from my classes asking me where my tutoring was going to take place. Since my flyer didn't specify." Shinichi raised his head to glare at the perpetrator, who looked unconcerned and mildly gleeful. Mirth made his eyes seem lighter, less like deep blue and more like a rich purple. Shinichi dropped his glare to stare at the severely reduced mountain range of books between them.

"The librarian refused to let me take more than seven at a time. Since she found a shelving cart full of my books wedged in one of the janitor's closets on the first floor." Kaito didn't sound upset, more like he was just stating a fact and completely unbothered.

Shinichi didn't hide his smirk. He'd learned that when Kaito sounded unconcerned, he was actually seething inside and holding it in.

-X-

"That doesn't look like homework," Kaito said, using one hand to pull one of Shinichi's files out from under his arm. He flipped it open and started reading, eyebrows climbing higher as he turned pages and photographs.

"It's not homework," Shinichi muttered, stealing the file back. He closed it and rested a hand on it defensively. "And you shouldn't be reading it."

"That also didn't look like something you're working on independently for class. That looked official." Kaito was staring at the file, not raising his eyes even when Shinichi shifted to draw his attention.

"I'm a detective when I'm not in class," he admitted. Kaito finally met his eyes.

What little warmth they had cultivated between them cooled. Kaito's eyes were narrowed and passive, the same sour expression on his face that was there when Shinichi first sat at the table.

"Really?" But there wasn't any interest in the question. It barely sounded like a question at all. "Good to know."

"Kaito-"

"I think I'm done." Kaito closed his notebook, obviously not finished in the least, but he started packing away his books and left the table without another word.

Shinichi watched him leave, at a loss and disappointed.

-X-

"Kaito?" Shinichi had asked around, but it seemed like no one knew a Kaito, or if they did, only knew his name and that he was usually in the library for long hours. Not much help when he hadn't been to the library for weeks, as far as Shinichi could tell. "Why are you looking for him?"

"I wanted to apologize to him. I was rude and said something..." he trailed away and let the other student fill in his assumption.

"Well, if he's not in the library, he's likely staying in his apartment. I'm not sure which building he's in, but if you ask Hakuba Saguru he'll be able to tell you."

"Do you know where Hakuba would be at this time?" Shinichi asked, feeling some relief that he was getting somewhere.

"Try the administration building. He's one of the student receptionists."

"Thank you," Shinichi said, waving a hand and taking off for the administration building at a quick stride. Kaito hadn't been to the library at any time that Shinichi had gone, and he'd varied his arrival times to hopefully be a step ahead. It hadn't worked and by the third week he'd started feeling desperate.

Hakuba was at the reception desk, a neat little name plate in front of him. He was on the phone when Shinichi approached, but caught his eye and nodded while Shinichi waited a few steps away from his desk. He finished the phone call quickly enough, holding up a finger as he opened a date book and filled in appointments.

"How can I help you?" Hakuba asked as he closed the date book and gave Shinichi a bland smile.

"I'm Kudou Shinichi. I was told you could help me find Kaito. I wanted to apologize to him." Shinichi tried to look regretful and trustworthy, since what he said absolutely didn't sound either.

"Kudou Shinichi," Hakuba repeated, frowning in confusion and tapping a finger on the desk. His mouth tightened abruptly and the polite expression fell to something cold and indifferent. "I'm sorry, but I won't be helping you."

"What?" Shinichi asked, shifting in surprise at the suddenly hostile tone. "Why?"

"Kaito specifically asked me not to help you." Hakuba's face cracked into a supremely frightening smile.

"I wanted to apologize," Shinichi asserted, leaning on the desk and hoping to intimidate Hakuba. It didn't work but he hadn't expected it to.

"I don't care. He asked me not to help, so I'm not going to help you." Hakuba stood up, looming over Shinichi. "In fact, I'd advise you to leave him alone. And to leave before I have you escorted out."

Shinichi swallowed back his anger. It wasn't going to convince Hakuba to give him anything, and he wasn't bluffing about having campus security walk him out.

He'd think of something else to find Kaito.

-X-

"Really, your only options at this point boil down to illegal activities," Haibara said, and even over the phone he could tell she was laughing at him. "Stalk him. Track his phone. Get his student record. Bribe someone in the administration office for his information."

"You can stop helping at any time." Shinichi sighed. "I don't get what a big deal it is."

"He reacted when you identified as a detective. Maybe he has a problem with law enforcement."

"Then he's got bigger problems because he's enrolled in law school." Shinichi relaxed on the bench, studying the campus grounds and watching the stream of students meandering around. He spotted Hakuba in the crowd, sitting at one of the tables outside of the cafeteria between two women. All three of them appeared to be arguing.

"Are you listening, Kudou?"

"I think I've got a lead. I'll call you back." He hung up on her before she could snap back at him.

The two women, one with brown hair and the other with red, seemed to be arguing with each other as well. The brown haired woman and Hakuba appeared to be on the same side, their bodies angling to face off against the red haired woman. Her back was to him so he couldn't see her expression, but she pushed up and strode away, hair swinging behind her.

He started after her, estimating her route and avoiding Hakuba and his companion. He stepped out around one of the buildings as she turned the corner, eyes going wide as she took in his face.

"You're Shinichi," she said, no doubt at all.

He nodded.

"Good. Walk with me." She strode past him, stilling as he made no move after her. "Well? Do you want to see Kaito? Let's go."

"I don't know who you are," Shinichi argued, but he fell in step with her.

"Akako." She smiled at him, cool and coy and so breathtakingly beautiful, he actually felt his heart pound hard in his chest before she looked away. "I'm one of Kaito's friends. You've been driving him crazy, you know."

"Sorry," he muttered, having to take long strides to keep up, because she was moving like a force of nature on some very precarious heels.

"I never said it was a bad thing. He could use some stirring up." She waved a hand at her side, laughing almost silently. "Do you know how long its been since he's played pranks? It's good for him."

"And you're going to help me?" Shinichi asked.

Akako stopped in front of a cafe and stared at him. "Let's get coffee. This will be easier sitting down."

She ordered a pot of tea for the table and a large black coffee, taking a seat at one of the tables and folding her hands in her lap as they waited for the drinks to be brought over to them. Once the tea tray and coffee were settled in the center of the table, she straightened.

"Kaito's full name is Kuroba Kaito," she started. And Shinichi recognized that name. He knew the Kuroba name very, very well. "And yes, his father was the infamous Kaitou Kid."

"What?" Because there was absolutely no mention of a family in any of the Kid's obituaries.

"I knew him when he still used his father's name. He and his mother both reclaimed her maiden name, so he goes by Mine Kaito now. He's very much his father's son, though." She fixed a cup of tea, sipping at it as she watched him. "Everyone knows Kaito Kid's story. International thief for fourteen years suddenly responsible for a mass murder and thrown in jail. They know he died in jail, presumably of a stroke."

"It wasn't just mass murder," Shinichi said, thoughts running through his mind too quickly to make sense of them. "It was the largest mass murder committed by a single person in a century. No one could figure out how he did it."

"He didn't. Someone else did." Akako smiled at him, but it was like Hakuba's smile had been, cold and frightening and more like bared teeth than genuine pleasure. "No one believed him, of course, but he denied it until he himself died. Kaito was the only one who didn't believe the news."

"So he went into law," he started, but there were too many ways to end that thought. The dark history explained the intense focus and upper level reading material.

"He went into law to hopefully clear his father's name." Akako set her cup down. She brought a hand up to brush her hair off her shoulder, eyes drifting past him to stare blankly towards the door. "I don't think it can be done. None of us really do, but we'll support him. Hakuba's only staying enrolled here to support Kaito. The other girl we were with was Nakamori Aoko. Her father was the one to originally arrest the Kid."

"Why don't you think he can do it?" Kaito certainly seemed focused enough to do so. At the rate he devoured books, he had to have advanced nearly to the top of their graduating class if not further.

"Because his father said there was a group out there who did the deed. And they killed him. If Kaito tries to pursue them, they'll kill him too." Akako shook herself lightly, eyes snapping back towards him. "He lives across from this cafe. Apartment 44. He should be home right now."

And he was dismissed, coffee untouched and only mildly warm. He thanked her anyway, but she waved a hand, brushing him off and turning her attention to pouring a new cup of tea.

-X-

The student apartments weren't accessible like most other apartment buildings, likely in an effort to maintain some control over the students. There was no way into the building without having a resident open the door or pulling down the fire escape at the side of the building. Shinichi lurked nearby for over an hour but no one entered or exited, and he reasoned that buzzing up to the apartment would likely lend itself to the same result.

He was stuck again and contemplated calling Agasa for any tricks to bypass the electronic locks.

"Locked outside?"

Shinichi turned and smiled sheepishly at the blonde woman with a messenger bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah," he agreed, stepping out of the way so she could approach the door. "Too rushed this morning to make sure I had everything."

"Happens to us all," she said, drawing out her student badge and scanning it. The locks clicked open and she held the door for him. "Next time, just buzz apartment 16. Ryuuzaki-san barely leaves the building during the day so he'll let you in."

"I'll remember that. Thank you."

"Don't worry about it." She smiled at him as she headed for the elevator. He waited a few minutes, daunted somewhat at the idea that he could see Kaito in only a few minutes and not have any idea what he would say when he did. He walked up the stairs, stopping for a few minutes just outside the door for the fourth floor to gather his courage.

The hallway was empty, and it was only a short walk to Kaito's apartment. He still didn't have an idea what to say, but he knocked anyway.

"Finally. I've been waiting almost two hours for you," Kaito said as he opened the door, an incredibly judgmental look on his face. He leaned against the fame of the door, arms and heels crossed.

"What?" Shinichi asked, his greeting dying at Kaito's unexpected welcome. He thought he'd have to bang on the door for at least twenty minutes before Kaito would deign to acknowledge him.

"Akako texted me that she told you where I live nearly two hours ago. What the hell were you doing? Get lost crossing the street or something?"

"You-"

Kaito huffed, something that might have been a laugh if it hadn't sounded so tired. He pushed himself upright and spread the door wider.

"Come in already. I'm not doing this in the hall."

Shinichi kept quiet, following Kaito into his apartment and pausing to take off his shoes in the entryway. Kaito's apartment was clean and tidy, a few photographs on the wall of Kaito and an older woman he assumed to be his mother. But that was as personal as the apartment became. Kaito stopped in his living room, settling on his couch and waving a hand to the empty chair.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Shinichi asked, idling by the chair instead of making himself comfortable. He felt if he relaxed for a moment, Kaito would turn the situation to his favor and nothing would be resolved.

"I've been avoiding everyone. Don't take it personally," Kaito said, turning to drape himself over the couch and rest with his arms behind his head, propped up against the arm.

"Considering the last conversation we had, forgive me if I doubt that." Shinichi landed heavily in the chair. "You found out I was a detective and cut all ties with me."

"I didn't care that you're a detective. Otherwise I'd never be friends with Hakuba. But you're not just any detective, are you, Kudou Shinichi?" Kaito's eyes were shuttered, narrowly slitted so Shinichi could barely tell he had his eyes open.

"It matters that I'm famous?" That wasn't anything he could help. He'd been in the spotlight frequently when he'd started high school, but after his friends had started being targeted by the media, he'd backed out of the interviews and focused on being a detective. But the media still remembered him.

"It matters because I'm infamous. Akako told you about my father. I have to be careful, and being noticed by anyone isn't good for me," Kaito said, shifting in place to mask his discomfort, but Shinichi could tell how irritated and lost he was.

"Someone's really watching you?" Shinichi asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Maybe. Everyone forgot about Kaito Kid's family, so my mother and I never really had a lot of exposure. But I'd notice things sometimes. Enough to know what I'm doing isn't safe for the people around me." Kaito pushed himself upright, moving so his back was pressed against the armrest. His eyes dropped to the ground, and every line of his body spoke of defeat.

"I don't think I can avoid you," Shinichi confessed. He kept his eyes on Kaito's face, chest tight and face warm as he started to unravel what was boiling inside into words. "I missed you. You're my friend, Kaito. Probably the best friend I've had for a while."

And it was true. Ran, Hattori, and Haibara were the closest friends he had, but they had their own lives and he barely saw them. He'd been mostly alone and then Kaito had been there. And even if they argued and pranked and harassed each other, there was a strong attachment on Shinichi's side, and it felt like it could be something incredible.

"It would be better for you if you did. I'm not... Good for people anymore," Kaito said, hesitating just enough for Shinichi to hear the catch in his throat and notice the effort he was putting into staring at the floor. "I'm not a good friend."

"I think I get to decide that." Shinichi decided to take a chance and stood, moving to sit on the unoccupied section of the couch and reach towards Kaito. His hand hovered over Kaito's knee, but he took a breath and took hold, squeezing once. "I really missed you."

"Yeah," Kaito said, voice hushed soft and slightly raspy, entirely unlike his bluster and attitude earlier. "I missed you, too."


	26. On the same college tour

Kenta hadn't anticipated orientation day to be as foreboding as it was starting to look. He'd been herded into a small group with four other students and two upperclassmen, one of whom was bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement as they made their way across the room. They'd been seated at a circle of chairs with a small table in the middle, everything draped in the school colors.

"So I think the best way to start things would be with an ice breaker."

Kenta bit his lip and shifted in place, feeling disproportionately nervous and out of place. He glanced at the other students around him, two boys and a girl who seemed to know one another and a blond boy who looked just as nervous as he did.

"How about this?" The excited upperclassman flipped a hand and was suddenly holding a deck of cards, fanned out so the decorative backs were facing away from him. "I have a normal deck of cards. Each suit will represent a different question. Hearts for personal stories. Spades for life goals. Diamonds for favorite things. Clubs for a talent or skill. On your first turn, draw a card, introduce yourself and your major, and then tell us something about yourself based on the card you've drawn."

"I'll go first," the other upperclassman said, reaching over to draw a card. He placed it down in the middle of the table to reveal the three of spades. "My name is Kudou Shinichi. I am a criminal justice major. My dream is to be one of the world's greatest detectives."

Kenta perked up, eyes going wide and a smile starting to pull at his lips. He knew about Kudou Shinichi. He was in the papers pretty often and Kenta's father even said that he had the potential to be just as good as Kudou one day.

"Let's keep going to the right," the other upperclassman said, shuffling the cards between his hands with a showy flourish. He presented them to the boy sitting at Kudou's right.

The boy drew a nine of diamonds. "I'm Tsuburaya Mistuhiko. I am a computer science major. One of my most valuable possessions would be my laptop."

"Very good." Another showy shuffle and the cards were presented to the only girl in the group. Kenta had to admit that the cards tricks were pretty cool. "Pick a card, miss."

"I'm Yoshida Ayumi and I am a sociology major." She placed the jack of spades on the table. "My life goal is to become a police officer and help people."

"An admirable goal." The upperclassman shuffled again and spread the cards for the boy next to Kenta.

The boy drew the ten of hearts. "Uh. I'm Kojima Genta and I'm a criminal justice major. I guess, a personal story would be about how I met Mitsuhiko and Ayumi. We've been in the same school since elementary, and we started an investigations club. We actually met because we were all interested in going to the same house to see if it was really haunted. It wasn't but we had such a good time we started being friends."

"So you three already know each other?" Kudou asked, smiling just a little at the sudden bashful looks they sent him.

"Yeah, but we didn't know the others in the group. We didn't want to seem like we were excluding anyone," Ayumi said, leaning over the table to smile at Kenta and the other boy. His face felt hot but he smiled back and dropped his eyes to the newly shuffled cards that were being offered to him next.

He drew the king of clubs and stared at it in thought. "I'm Connery Kenta and I'm a criminal justice major. A skill that I can do would be... I can ride horses and perform trick shots on horseback."

"Really?" The upperclassman holding the cards whistled and seemed impressed. "I don't even think our great detective can do both."

"I've never tried riding horses," Kudou protested, but Kenta noticed he didn't dispute the trick shooting.

"That's really cool!" Kenta flinched a little as Genta turned to shake his shoulder, face split in a wide smile. "Where did you learn to ride horses?"

"My father's American, and he has family in America. I learned at his ranch." He blushed under the sudden interest, and turned to stare at the table.

"It's your turn to draw," the upperclassman said, offering the cards to the boy at Kenta's right.

"I'm Ingram Phillip, and I am a psychology major." He placed the ace of spades on the table. "My life goal is to become a person skilled and respected enough to succeed my mother as President of the International Federation for Human Rights."

"You're the son of Ingram Slezibeth, nicknamed the Queen of Mercy?" The upperclassman asked.

"That's mother. I want to do just as much good as she does," Phillip said, raising his chin proudly.

"I guess it's my turn then," The upperclassman placed the deck on the table and flipped over the top card. The king of clubs looked back. "My name is Kuroba Kaito and I am a double major, theater and psychology. One of my skills..." Kuroba slapped a hand over the deck of cards, smoke flared under his palm, and when he raised his hand, there was a dove in place of their cards. "I'm a magician."

A spattering of applause broke out from Ayumi and Genta, and Kenta clapped a few times as well, because that was really impressive.

"We have enough time to go another round before it's our turn to walk the grounds," Kuroba said, drawing the deck of cards out of thin air. The dove hopped up his arm to nuzzle into his throat, tugging strands of his hair every so often.

"We can go backwards this time. You start," Kudou said, offering a finger to the dove. It went to him with a soft coo and then took off and vanished out of sight.

"Alright," Kuroba said, rolling his eyes and drawing the two of spades from the top of the pile. "One of my life goals is to become a magician even more famous than my father."

"Who's your father?" Mistuhiko asked.

"He's known as the Infamous, the Immortal, the Impossible Kaitou Kid." Kuroba swept his hands back, a burst of confetti and rose petals descending from overhead. Kenta leaned back but couldn't avoid the downpour. "You might have heard of him."

"I watched one of his shows!" Kenta said before he could stifle himself. He brought a hand up to his mouth but Kuroba was already turning a beaming smile on him.

"He's very, very good. But I plan to be even better." Kuroba swept some of the confetti off the table, but there was easily an inch on every surface so it didn't help much. Kudou sighed and ran a hand through his hair, dislodging the confetti pieces that were stuck in it.

"Phillip, I think it's your turn," Kudou said.

"Right." Phillip took the top card and placed down the four of hearts. "A personal story... My mother inherited a topaz from her mother, and it's the largest one in Europe. They call it the Crystal Mother, because it was known to bring healthy children to expectant mothers as it was passed down from bride to bride. It was nearly stolen once, because it was famous and worth a lot of money. So I told mother that the best way we could use it and still help others would be to sell it and donate the proceeds to providing health care for ailing mothers and newborns. It was the first time mother used one of my ideas."

"That's very selfless. A lot of people wouldn't give up personal wealth for charity." Kudou smiled, and Kenta could hear how impressed and proud he was. How genuine Kudou was being.

"Kenta. Your turn." Kuroba tapped the table.

He drew the six of diamonds and placed it on the table. And he knew right away what he wanted to say. "My father worked for Interpol before he met my mother. He was assigned a case in Japan and she was one of the officers he worked with. They were chasing a criminal organizer called Nightmare. The criminal was after these opal earrings called the Dark Knight. My mother found out when they were going to steal them, and she chased them as they were leaving. Nightmare shot at her to scare her away, but she wouldn't give up. She kept chasing him until the other officers got there and arrested him. After it was over, my mother fainted and my father took her to the hospital. It turned out that Nightmare hadn't missed when he shot at her." Kenta stopped and swallowed, face burning under all the attention but he brought a hand up to his neck and fished the necklace out. "Right before she went out, my father gave her this locket. And without it, my mother would have been killed before I could have been born. She gave it to me so I could have that same protection my father's love gave her."

He cupped the locket in his palm, a silver heart just a little smaller than his fist. It wasn't meant to be work around the neck, but on a pocket chain, because it snapped open to display a clock on one side and an engraving on the other. But his mother only had a necklace chain and threaded it through so it rested over her heart. It saved her life when her bulletproof vest hadn't.

"Thank you for sharing that with us," Kuroba said, eyes and voice both soft and sincere enough that Kenta didn't feel any embarrassment.

"Your mother's really amazing," Ayumi said, reaching past Genta to touch Kenta's wrist. He nodded back to her, a smile pulling at his lips hard enough to hurt.

"Thanks," Kenta said back, tucking the locket back under his shirt.

"Aw man, how can I follow such a cool story," Genta moaned, reaching to take a card from Kuroba's deck. He placed the nine of spades down. "A life goal. This is really lame, but when I was little I wanted to take over my father's convenience store. My parents have lived here all their lives, and their parents and their grandparents, and we've always had the store. But after I met Mitsuhiko and Ayumi, I didn't want to anymore. I wanted to be a policeman or fireman. I wanted to be a hero and help people. I'm doing criminal justice because my parents said that my dreams were important. And if I wanted to work at the store, they'd let me do that, and told me I shouldn't do things just because they did. So, I guess my life goal is to make them proud, as a policeman or fire fighter or store owner."

"I think that followed just fine," Kuroba said.

"Your parents support you even if they wanted different things. You're already making them proud by working hard for it," Kudou said.

"My turn." Ayumi drew the eight of diamonds. "One of my precious things would be a gift from Assistant Inspector Sato. When I was in high school, she was one of the officers I shadowed during our career fair. She gave me her old officers uniform hat and told me I would be a great police officer."

"I know Sato. She's a very good officer. She's a great role model." Kudou nodded at Ayumi's bright grin, ignoring Kuroba's sudden exasperated sigh.

"So many goody-goodies. I can't believe my entire group are police kids."

"I'm not-"

"Phillip, your mother may be known as the Queen of Mercy, but she is not so merciful on the bad guys. A bunch of little angels."

"Choir," Mitsuhiko said, and everyone turned to look at him. "A group of angels. It's either a choir or host, depending on context."

Kuroba sighed again and waved the cards towards him, wincing as Kudou elbowed him. Kenta didn't get what the big deal was, but he felt more confident now that some common ground had been acknowledged between him and the rest of the first years. They were more alike than he'd thought.

"A talent or skill," Mitsuhiko said, tapping a finger to his chin. "I'm a computer science major, so it wouldn't be surprising to say that I have skills in that area. Instead, a skill people are surprised I have would be bouldering. It's a climbing skill without use of any aids, except shoes and chalk, but it's also not very high climbing, either. But it's lots of fun."

"I've done some of that," Kuroba said, shuffling the cards into an elaborate bridge over his head that fell neatly into his extended hand. "It's good practice for free solo climbing. Really builds your skills."

"I want to move up into more skilled rope climbing." Mitsuhiko sat up straighter, nearly fidgeting in his seat. "It's not as important a skill, but I really enjoy doing it."

"You never know when the skills you have may need to be utilized." Kudou reached over to Kuroba's offered hand and turned over the queen of hearts. He stared at it, looked up at Kuroba's face, and then sat back in his chair with a sigh. "Hearts for personal stories, right?"

"Bingo!" Kuroba said, clapping his hands together and turning the cards into little confetti. The table was still so thick with it, a little more didn't make much of a difference. "Share a really, really good one!"

"A really good one?" Kudou repeated, eyes slanting to the rest of the group. He smiled. "How would you like to hear how I met Kaito?"

"Yes!" Ayumi said immediately.

"No!" Kuroba protested at the same time.

"Yes," Kudou agreed. "I'm a second year student, but this is my first year at this university. Originally, I was going to Toudai. I transferred over to this university two months into term because someone was going to my classes and impersonating me to my professors. Not just saying they were me. They were meeting with my friends, turning in my assignments, participating in my study groups, and wearing my face on all the security cameras."

"What?" Genta asked.

Kenta found himself leaning forward, absorbed with the story, when he accidentally bumped elbows with Phillip. They glanced at each other, but Kenta looked away as Kuroba's loud groan surprised him. Kuroba dropped his face in his hands, obscuring his face.

"And really the only ones who believed me were my friends. And we decided to lay a trap for our imposter." Kudou stopped and clapped Kuroba's shoulder, shaking him lightly. Kuroba squirmed under the touch but didn't pull his face out of his hands. "It turned out my impostor was really, stupidly convinced that imitation was the highest form of flattery and set the entire thing up to get my attention."

"You don't bait a trap for a detective and leave out the mystery," Kuroba said, voice muffled by his hands. "I was being smart."

"You were being a pest. We were actually on the same tour of Toudai when we first met. I didn't remember, but Kaito did. And it was a grave insult to choose Toudai over here, apparently. Toudai couldn't do anything, exactly, but I realized I had more fun working against Kaito than I did going to Toudai's program. And the program is really good here, I'm closer to my friends, and I have this brat to keep life from getting boring."

"I'm not a brat," Kuroba protested, face a little red from pressing his hands to his cheeks, and he sounded annoyed.

"You are the biggest brat I've ever met," Kudou argued, but it was with a smile.

"So you stayed for your friend?" Ayumi asked.

"I've found that one of the best things here is that I get to make those bonds with others. If Kaito hadn't pestered me, I never would have known so many of the people I know now. People important to me. I wouldn't be as close to achieving my dream as I am right now," Kudou said, smile turning smaller and more contemplative.

Kuroba reached between them and rested a hand on Kudou's shoulder.

"We might be smaller than Toudai, but that doesn't mean we're lesser. You picked this university for your own reasons, but even just in this circle, you can see the bonds between all of us." Kudou brought his hand up and covered Kuroba's, their fingers tightening together.

"We all want to make the world better. We all want to help people." Kenta squared his shoulders as everyone's attention turned on him. He looked slowly around, meeting eyes and seeing his own nervousness, excitement, and courage. Kudou and Kuroba nodded back to him, their hands dropping to the table but their fingers still linked together. "I think this will be a good place for us."

"I think so, too," Kuroba agreed. He stood, pulling Kudou up with him and gestured at the group. "It's our turn to walk the ground and show you the best places to hang out on campus."

"There are five dormitories on campus, two of which are for first year students. The other three are for upper year students who live on campus instead of renting around the area," Kudou said as Kenta and the others got to their feet and hovered behind Kudou and Kuroba. Kenta saw them squeeze their hands before separating.

"The rest of the buildings are the library, the cafeteria, the book store, the student health center, the fitness center, the pool, and the administration building. That's not including the classrooms and major-specific buildings. There are several other campus services that are either a short walk or bus ride away. Does everyone have their students badges?" Kuroba asked, stopping in front of the doors.

Kenta nodded along with everyone else, grabbing the badge he'd received in the mail with his acceptance letter and orientation date.

"Great! Let's get this tour started!" Kuroba pushed open the doors, and Kenta could finally get his first good look at the grounds. It didn't feel like hallowed ground anymore. This was his place, too.

There were other students getting the tour, a few groups waving to Kuroba as he skipped towards the top of the stairs leading down to the quad. Kudou took his place at Kuroba's side, waving a hand at the towering buildings and lush green grass.

"Welcome to Meidai."


End file.
